Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Competition Development and Consumer Protection Committee of Uzbekistan has completed its review of an advertisement featuring the Minister of Culture and People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Ozodbek Nazarbekov.
In early July, a promotional video for a clothing store in Tashkent was circulated, in which the minister tried on several suits and encouraged viewers to "support our national brands and products."
A special commission of the committee found Boutique (owner of Kingsman Uzbekistan store) in violation of Article 16 of the "Advertising Law," which prohibits advertisements from implying that a product is endorsed by government bodies or their officials.
The commission’s decision resulted in a fine for the store, and it was instructed to rectify the violation and avoid similar breaches in the future.
Boutique has the right to appeal the commission’s decision in court.
However, the commission found no evidence that Minister of Culture Ozodbek Nazarbekov participated in the advertisement as an advertiser, manufacturer, or distributor of the ad.
The committee emphasized that the minister did not disseminate the advertisement through his personal social media or other official channels, thus he is not considered a participant in the circulation of the advertisement under the law.