OHCHR Welcomes Legal Reforms In Uzbekistan

The briefing organized by Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the United Nations and other international organizations took part at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The members of the UN Human Rights Committee, the heads and staff of the OHCHR divisions o­n the Central Asian region and coordinating UN Human Rights Committee special procedures and other international conventional bodies have participated in the meeting.

The Laws “On introducing amendments and addenda to some legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in view of abolition the death penalty” and “On introducing amendments and addenda to some legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in view of transferring to courts the right to issue the arrest warrants” approved by Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan have been presented at the briefing. The participants have been informed o­n the measures undertaken by the Uzbek leadership aimed at liberalizing the penal legislature and judicial and legal system in the country.

The event has also addressed the main goals and principles of adopted laws o­n abolition the death penalty and transferring to courts the right to issue the arrest warrant, which have earlier been initiated by President Islam Karimov at the Joint Session of the Senate and Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis o­n January 28, 2005 and the related decrees o­n August 2005. The guests have highly assessed the laws approved by the Uzbek Senate o­n June 29 this year.

The members of the UN Human Rights Committee have welcomed the adoption of the aforementioned laws and have pointed to the significance of these national legislative documents in the context of fulfillment by Uzbekistan of its commitments within the framework of the International Covenant o­n Civil and Political Rights, and particularly, its Articles 6 and 14.