This article is also available in:
Русский (Russian) 
Uzbek
A new scandal has erupted in Tashkent Region, casting doubt on the actions of law enforcement agencies and raising many questions among the public. In the Zangiata District, a woman was detained for wearing a mask in a public place. She was fined 1.7 million soums under the article concerning being in a public place with a covered face. But the strangest part of this situation is that the woman was not wearing the mask to conceal her identity but for medical reasons. She works in a furniture factory and suffers from dust allergies, so she had to wear the mask to protect her health. It’s curious—when Tashkent gets dusty, are masks also forbidden?
Where’s the logic?
This naturally raises the question: how could this have happened? Either something is being kept from us, or there have been changes in the law that the public is not aware of. According to the law, being in public places with a face covered to the extent that it prevents identification results in a fine. However, there is an important exception for cases where the face is covered for medical reasons, which is precisely the case here. But instead of resolving the situation and canceling the fine, the court merely reduced the amount without considering the medical grounds.
A Dangerous Precedent
This case is seriously concerning. If wearing a mask on the street can now lead to detention and fines, we might be heading in a dangerous direction. Public places, such as hospitals and government institutions, still display notices about the necessity of wearing masks. And now, it turns out that following this recommendation can result in being fined. Moreover, in a time when society is once again being alarmed by new viruses, such as monkeypox, which is said to be transmitted through airborne droplets, punishing people for wearing masks seems even more absurd. Citizens are faced with a choice: either risk their health or face fines and arrests.
Clarification Needed
Such actions by law enforcement create a dangerous precedent and undermine trust in the justice system. If a woman was fined for wearing a mask due to medical reasons, this should have prompted a serious investigation and subsequent clarifications. The Ministry of Internal Affairs needs to urgently clarify its position on this issue to avoid further misunderstandings and to protect citizens’ rights. Silence in this situation is unacceptable. If the rules have changed, the public should be informed. If not, then a clear signal must be sent to law enforcement agencies to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. We cannot afford to ignore the rights of citizens, especially when it comes to protecting their health and safety.
The text has been translated by AI. For more accurate information, please refer to the Russian version of the article.
