[1] Some police officers will harass prostitutes and extort "protection money" from them.
[8] Prostitutes are a high risk group, and has been blamed for a rise in HIV infections.
Uzbek women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in the Middle East, Eurasia, and Asia, and also internally in brothels, clubs, and private residences.
[12] Article 135 of the criminal code prohibits both sex trafficking and forced labour, prescribing penalties of three to 12 years imprisonment.
The government reported that 250 of the crimes investigated in 2016 were related to sexual exploitation.