PRESS RELEASE

Geneva – Tashkent, November 28th, 2007 – The United Nations
Committee Against Torture made public its recommendations on the situation in Uzbekistan, noting that it is particularly concerned at the “routine use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the country”.

The United Nations Committee Against Torture, after examining the third periodic report of Uzbekistan on the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted a set of 20 important recommendations. The majority of these recommendations echo the reports the RRG (Rapid Response Group) and OMCT (the World Organization Against Torture) presented to the experts of the Committee*). These reports documented several cases of torture and ill treatment that were fully taken
into account by the experts.

The Committee remains concerned at the “routine use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the country by law enforcement and investigative personnel or with their instigation or consent”. It calls on the Government to adopt “a zero tolerance approach to the continuing problem of torture, and to the practice of impunity”. It also asks the authorities to ensure prompt, full, impartial and effective investigations into all allegations, especially with regards to the events of May 2005 at Andijon, and prosecutions of these cases.

The experts ask Uzbekistan to adopt in its legislation a definition of torture consistent with article 1 of the Convention and to ensure that in practice information obtained by torture is not invoked as evidence in any proceedings. They remind the Government that “no exceptional circumstances, whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency” may justify the use of torture.

The Committee is also concerned at conditions of detention in Uzbekistan, and especially at allegations of torture and ill treatment in custody. In that respect, the use of internal regulations and procedures that are restricted to official use and not made public is denounced.

The Committee has asked the authorities to provide an update, within one year, of the measures taken to resolve this problem, and to ensure fundamental guarantees to the detainees, such as the right to access a lawyer, an independent doctor and family.

In addition, the Committee requests that independent experts and NGOs have access to all places of detention. Within one year, the Government will also have to transmit information about the monitoring of detention and other custodial facilities. Violence against women, in places of detention or elsewhere, is another subject of concern for the Committee. It pointed out the need for specific legislation and other measures to address both domestic violence and trafficking in women for furposes of sexual exploitation. It also calls for gender-specific training for law enforcement officials.

Finally, the experts are deeply concerned at the intimidation, restrictions and imprisonment of human rights defenders in the country and at the closure of human rights organizations.

OMCT and RRG consider that these recommendations clearly show the Convention against Torture is not fully implemented by Uzbekistan. The authorities should now, urgently, take appropriate steps to ensure the Committee’s concerns are taken into account.

Complementary Information:The OMCT report on the implementation of the UN Convention against Torture by
Uzbekistan:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/docs/ngos/omctuzbekistan39.pdf

The Committee against Torture:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/index.htm

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment : http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/cat.htm

Conclusions and Recommendations of the Committee against Torture:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/docs/AdvanceVersions/CAT.C.UZB.C
O.3.doc
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Press contact:

OMCT :
Patrick Mutzenberg – United Nations Treaty Bodies Programme : pm@omct.org
Mariana Duarte – Violence Against Women Programme : md@omct.org
Cécile Trochu Grasso – Rights of the Child Programme: ct@omct.org

Rapid Response Group :
Sukhrobjon Ismoilov – PR Officer : gbr.rrg@gmail.com
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*) OMCT/RRG, Shadow report on the implementation of the UN Convention against Torture by Uzbekistan, November 2007; OMCT, Uzbekistan: torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment, recommendations for dealing with their economic, social and cultural root causes,
November 2007.