Penitentiary professionals gain skills in medical standards of torture documentation

A total of some 45 forensic experts and medical staff of penitentiary system from five regions of Uzbekistan learned about international mechanisms for documenting torture, as well as national laws governing the treatment of those in detention, during training events in Termez and Ferghana on 21-22 April and 24-25 April.

The OSCE Project Co-Ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in co-operation with the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR), the Directorate for the Execution of Punishments under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan and the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Forensic Medicine, organized the two-day courses, which covered the Istanbul Protocol - the international standard for the medical documentation of torture.

“Our main task in ending torture is to improve the skills of medical personnel, arming them with effective tools in accordance with international standards, one of which is the Istanbul Protocol. Protecting human dignity is not only a legal but also a moral duty. In this regard, together with our reliable partner, the OSCE PCUz, we are implementing important initiatives”, said Professor Akmal Saidov, Director of the NCHR.

Ambassador Antti Karttunen, Head of Office of the PCUz, said, “Since 2017, Uzbekistan has demonstrated a serious commitment to identifying and addressing gaps in torture prevention and strengthening the protection of human rights. The OSCE PCUz is proud to support Uzbekistan’s initiatives that promote human rights within Uzbekistan’s penitentiary system. Over the years, our office has provided capacity-building support to governmental and civil society actors and conducted several trainings on torture prevention.”

Participants in the training events, from Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Forensic Medicine and Uzbekistan’s penitentiary system, were taught how to correctly identify and document both physical and psychological signs of torture, as well as how to comply with legal and ethical standards when conducting forensic examinations in detention facilities, such as pretrial detention centres and prisons. 

This initiative reflects a continuing commitment by Uzbekistan to advance human rights protection mechanisms and support professionals in upholding legal and ethical standards in the treatment of individuals in detention.