Evasion of treatment for dangerous infections in Turkmenistan now faces jail time

As reported in the newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan".Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov signed a law that establishes criminal liability for avoiding treatment for dangerous infectious diseases. This norm was added to Article 119 of the Criminal Code of Turkmenistan on August 22, 2020.

The period of imprisonment varies depending on the offense:

1. For persistent evaders of treatment during a pandemic and those who expose others to the risk of infection, there is a penalty of up to 2 years.
2. В случае повторного совершения преступления, а также в ситуации, когда отказ от лечения привел к смерти другого человека – срок до 5 лет.
3. Citizens who help infected individuals avoid treatment could be jailed for up to 3 years.