The American Journal of Political Science Law and Criminology
57
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TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
57-61
10.37547/tajpslc/Volume07Issue07-11
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
31 May 2025
ACCEPTED
29 June 2025
PUBLISHED
31 July 2025
VOLUME
Vol.07 Issue07 2025
CITATION
Nuratdinov Srajatdin Kamalatdinovich. (2025). The Public Necessity of
Applying Measures to Prevent Mass Riots. The American Journal of
Political Science Law and Criminology, 7(07), 57
–
61.
https://doi.org/10.37547/tajpslc/Volume07Issue07-11
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
The Public Necessity of
Applying Measures to
Prevent Mass Riots
Nuratdinov Srajatdin Kamalatdinovich
Independent researcher of the University of public security of the
Republic of Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article explores the legal, social, and
practical aspects of implementing preventive measures
against mass riots. It analyzes the concept of public
necessity in the context of maintaining public order and
ensuring societal stability. The author examines the role
of law enforcement agencies, legal frameworks, and
international experiences in the early identification and
prevention of civil unrest. Special attention is given to
balancing public security with human rights and
freedoms. The article also offers recommendations for
improving national legislation and institutional
mechanisms to effectively prevent mass riots in
democratic societies.
Keywords:
Mass riots, public order, prevention
measures, public necessity, law enforcement, legal
regulation, public safety, civil unrest, human rights,
security policy.
Introduction:
Literature and experience of mass riots in
the world over the last decade show that mass riots, in
addition to social, economic and political roots, also
have organizational and communicative aspects.
Research shows that studying the social, economic and
political causes presented in this table through
communication and preventive measures, as well as
finding solutions to eliminate them, is a crucial part of
preventing mass riots.
Public order is the most important support of human
society, without which it is impossible to ensure
harmony, peace and development of society.
Maintaining public order in society is one of the most
important tasks of the modern state [1]. Accordingly,
the study of phenomena related to public order and
public disorder, institutions and rules for their
regulation, causes and consequences of disorder, as
well as measures to prevent it, is part of the main
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subject of social sciences, as well as law and
criminology. Violation of public order is recognized as
a socially dangerous act that poses a threat to public
safety in the broad sense and public order in the
narrow sense [2]. Thus, Article 244 of the Criminal
Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan defines as a crime
such acts as public calls for mass riots (part one), the
commission of such calls by a group of persons by prior
conspiracy (part two), preparation for the commission
of mass riots (part three), the organization of mass
riots and active participation in them (part four). This
is a multi-object crime, expressed in an encroachment
on public safety, public order, the life and health of
others, as well as property [3]. Laws and explanations
(comments, judicial explanations) mainly comment on
the doctrinal content of the crime of mass riots, do not
give it a clear definition, do not take into account its
social essence and system. In scientific literature, mass
riots are described in different ways. For example, the
scientist Grigoriev defines mass riots as a crime
committed intentionally by a large group of people (a
crowd), which, by such actions as mass murder, arson,
damage to property, violates the foundations of public
order and safety [4]. M. Rustambaev [5] identifies, in
addition to public order, its constituent parts, public
safety, as well as the property, life and health of other
persons, and gives a broader definition of this concept:
a violation of public order is committed by a group of
persons and is expressed in causing harm to public
order, safety, life, health and property of other
persons. E. Aripov defines mass riots as a crime
committed intentionally by a large group of persons for
the purpose of violating public safety and order [6].
Despite the diversity and contradictory nature of
definitions, an important aspect of mass riots for our
study is that they imply the unification of a large
number of people, the mass use of violence and the
commission of other socially dangerous acts. Mass
riots are a profound social phenomenon that reflects
social tension, contradictions, systemic and structural
problems of society. That is, the study of the social
need, criminological and legal content of the
prevention of mass riots is an important basis for their
legal regulation. Without these foundations, it is
impossible to take specific legal measures. This mass
gathering of people is the central link in the prevention
of mass riots, since the relationships between such a
large number of people make it difficult to conceal
them and make it possible to carry out preventive and
prophylactic measures. This study is also aimed at
improving the prevention of mass riots by studying
mass riots from a criminological and legal point of view
and identifying their multifaceted social structure. At
the same time, doctrinal, scientific-theoretical and
practical approaches to the prevention of these crimes
are still not clear enough, often based on the views of
Soviet criminology on prevention. The Law of the
Republic of Uzbekistan "On the Prevention of Crimes",
although it defines the general and organizational
aspects of prevention, does not contain deep scientific
and legal approaches to the prevention of mass riots. In
this important area, along with understanding the social
essence,
legal
foundations
and
criminological
characteristics of mass riots, it is also necessary to
understand the social need to prevent these crimes.
Since understanding this social need provides a strategic
basis for determining and implementing measures to
prevent mass riots. After all, if you do not determine the
social need and the role of the state in this area,
preventive measures will turn into technical measures,
and subsequently, conflicting with such institutions as
human rights and the rule of law, they will lose their
meaning and deviate from legal norms, which will lead
to illegal practices similar to the preventive measures of
the Soviet period, or to a complete loss of vigilance,
which will lead to the impossibility of preventing mass
riots. Prevention of mass riots is not just a set of
technical and practical measures, it is a deep and
systemic strategic criminologically based legal policy.
Based on modern criminological research [7], global
experience in ensuring socio-economic stability and
well-being, as well as our own empirical research, we
can identify the following social necessity of public
disorder.
A) Maintaining public order and security is a primary
necessity, considered as an existential and primary need
of members of society. This was especially empirically
confirmed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021,
when all countries took preventive measures, even
before military intervention.
B) Preserving the life, health and safety of citizens is a
primary necessity that requires the prevention of mass
riots, which is an integral part of the above-mentioned
public security and order, which are based on the
health, life and safety of each person. Measures to
prevent mass riots are also taken to protect them.
C) The protection of democratic state institutions also
requires the prevention of mass disorder. Mass disorder
always represents a threat of the violent removal of a
legitimately elected government or the impossibility of
it exercising its legitimate powers, as well as the
creation of new undemocratic institutions. An example
of this is the ban on "undemocratic assemblies" in force
in Germany since the Weimar Republic [8]. The ban
provided for by this law applies to any public events that
are contrary to democratic principles and aimed at the
protection of democracy.
D) The prevention of social polarization and conflicts,
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i.e. the prevention of some of the most important
causes of mass disorder, also represents a social need
for prevention in this area [9].
E) The protection of the legitimacy of state power and
other institutions also requires the prevention,
avoidance and prevention of mass disorder.
Modern research in law and criminology began in the
1970s with attempts to find a balance between
stability and human rights, as well as a strategic
solution to prevent mass riots. After all, mass riots are
not random and unsystematic actions, but a
systematic, structured phenomenon. The conclusions
about the need to prevent these riots by analyzing
systemic phenomena and identifying their patterns
were based on scientific works published in the 1970s,
in particular, on the developments of the social control
theory of Travis Hirsch, one of the fundamental
theories of criminology and criminal law [10]. In
analyzing the causes of crime, he highly values the
importance of social control in its prevention. Although
it limits human rights to a certain extent, he justifies
the need to take preventive measures in the interests
of society as a whole, institutionalizing them and
improving them to the point of taking measures at the
level of everyday activities.
It should be emphasized that prevention, especially
measures to prevent mass riots, in various state and
political forms up until the middle of the 20th century
were subject to harsh criticism, since they (for
example, the German Nazi government) tended to use
force and repressive methods to unite all layers of
society, to counteract any diversity and rights.
If in the theory of preventive justice, the prevention of
mass riots was considered within the framework of the
concepts of the rule of law and human rights, then it
was somewhat different from the legal and ethical
foundations and mechanisms for the prevention or
prevention of crimes in other, say, Soviet and post-
Soviet territories.
During the Soviet Union, the prevention of mass riots
was one of the important areas aimed at ensuring state
security, maintaining public order and strengthening
political stability [11].
Modern criminology and interdisciplinary (law,
sociology, economics, psychology, etc.) studies aimed
at preventing mass riots and social instability consider
preventive and proactive measures as necessary.
Social necessity implies preventive measures aimed at
eliminating not only crimes, but also their causes
(social inequality, loss of social connections, lack of
information). In addition, based on criminological
practice and research in economically developed and
peace-loving countries, as well as on our own
observations and analysis, we can highlight the
following main factors in preventing mass riots:
Approaches based on social justice and public trust;
Transparency of law enforcement activities;
Continuous dialogue with the public;
Early warning systems using high-tech solutions (big
data, artificial intelligence and digital technologies,
etc.).
Accordingly, in addition to literature, a number of
economically developed societies with stable public
security have developed institutional, systemic policies
and organizational structures aimed at preventing mass
disorder.
Although today Uzbekistan positions itself as a
democratic and human rights-respecting society and
state, much of the Soviet criminological legacy does not
correspond to the conditions of this modern statehood
and, moreover, contradicts human rights and diversity
of opinions recognized in the Constitution and laws.
Accordingly, today in Uzbekistan a new policy of
prevention and preventive measures is being formed,
based on modern criminological knowledge and models,
which provides for a balance between human rights and
the social need for prevention. In particular, systemic
measures are being implemented through dialogue with
the population, local public reception centers and civil
service reform. That is, the prevention of mass unrest in
Uzbekistan has reached a new level and is no longer
repressive in nature, but is based on measures taken
through public cooperation, early identification of
vulnerable groups, persuasion and the elimination of
social contradictions.
The legal reforms carried out in Uzbekistan in recent
years, the development of civil society and the desire for
openness in public administration require new
approaches to preventing mass unrest in the country.
Instead of the previous administrative-repressive Soviet
model, a trend is currently gaining momentum towards
the formation of a preventive policy based on social
partnership, early warning mechanisms and open
dialogue with the public. In particular, the events in
Nukus in 2022 demonstrated the possibility of mass
unrest in Uzbekistan, as well as the public need to
prevent them. At the same time, measures aimed at
identifying and preventing the socio-economic and
cultural causes of mass unrest began to be formed.
Sociological studies conducted on the topic of mass
unrest in Nukus showed that any mass unrest has socio-
economic and cultural causes, and it is advisable to
organize the prevention of mass unrest by solving them.
The social need and completely new social content of
the prevention of mass riots are also reflected in the
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The American Journal of Political Science Law and Criminology
Concept of Public Security of the Republic of
Uzbekistan (Concept), approved by the Decree of the
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated
November 29, 2021 No. PF-27, as well as in the
Strategy for the Development of the Public Security
System in the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2022-2025
(Strategy). These provisions play an important role in
preventing mass riots and determining their social
consequences, since they define the legal basis for the
early detection of the possibility of mass riots, public
interaction and dialogue with the population, as well
as scientific and technical solutions, broad
international
cooperation
and
other
broad
mechanisms. According to the Concept, the Ministry of
Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan provides
a general system for managing measures to suppress
mass riots that pose a threat to public safety. This
mechanism is designed to prevent crimes that
encroach on public safety and ensure that those who
commit them are brought to justice in the prescribed
manner. The Resolution of the President of the
Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 30, 2025 No. PP-155
"On comprehensive measures for the digital
transformation of the system of internal affairs bodies"
also emphasizes the social need to prevent mass riots
and takes state policy in this area to a new level.
According to it, the information infrastructure of the
internal affairs bodies will be united into a single
system based on artificial intelligence technologies,
which will increase the effectiveness of their activities
in combating crime. This technological solution, based
on the experience of developed countries, analyzes
and processes very large volumes of data (in a volume
that is physically impossible for government officials to
analyze) and provides important conclusions for
preventing mass riots.
The conclusions of the article are as follows:
1. The most important scientific and practical problem
in the field of law and criminology related to mass riots
and their prevention is the balance between human
rights and public order. First of all, the right to organize
mass movements and express one's opinion is an
important part of the modern concept of human rights.
However, if these mass gatherings have the opposite
effect and lead to a violation of public order and, in a
broader sense, public (or mass) safety, this is
prohibited by law.
Modern legal thinking emphasizes the importance of
the state as the main guarantor of social stability,
assigning it the task of preventing, suppressing and
eliminating crimes and various riots.
2. Based on scientific and theoretical literature and our
empirical research, we can classify the social need for
the prevention of mass riots as follows:
Maintenance of public order and safety,
Preservation of life, health and safety of citizens,
Protection of democratic state institutions,
Prevention of social polarization and conflicts,
Protection of the legitimacy of state power and other
institutions. 3. The theoretical basis of our research is
the theory of “Preventive Justice”, which states that
crimes related to public safety should be prevented and
prevented, and measures should be taken to prevent
them, subject to a number of important conditions. This
approach implies a clear vision of the future threat and
a strategy for limiting certain rights in order to prevent
it, while respecting human rights.
4. Based on practice and scientific research, as well as
our own observations and analysis, the following main
factors can be identified for preventing mass riots:
Approaches based on social justice and public trust;
Transparency of law enforcement activities;
Continuous dialogue with the public;
Early warning systems using high-tech solutions (big
data, artificial intelligence and digital technologies,
etc.).
5. The legal basis for preventing mass riots begins, first
of all, with human rights and related international
documents, agreements, traditions and views. The
international and scientific community pays special
attention to the establishment of generally recognized
international principles and principles of legal regulation
of preventing mass riots. The goal is to ensure the
peaceful conduct of mass protests and demonstrations,
maintaining a balance between public safety and the
protection of human rights.
6. Based on the content of legal literature, international
documents and international practical experience, we
have identified the following principles of preventing
mass riots:
Legality
Necessity and proportionality
Judicial supervision
Transparency and accountability
Subsidiarity.
7. Chapter 1 of the study analyzes traditional scientific
approaches to the legal regulation of mass riots and
public safety in criminology and law, considers the
theory of regulation (meta-regulation), a risk-oriented
approach,
technological
and
hybrid
scientific
approaches. 8. The following legal mechanisms for
regulating the prevention of mass riots have been
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systematized:
general legal foundations (the Constitution, the Law on
Crime Prevention, etc.),
prohibitory laws - acts established in the Criminal
Code, the Codes of Administrative Responsibility,
normative legal foundations providing for special
regulatory and preventive measures (Rules for holding
mass
events,
other
departmental
regulatory
documents),
strategic and technological documents (the Concept of
Public Safety, the Strategy, etc.).
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