On 14-15 November 2024, the OSCE Project Co-Ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in co-operation with the National Human Rights Centre (NHRC) of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Main Directorate for the Execution of Punishments, organized a two-day training on Forensic Medical Documentation of torture and ill-treatment according to Istanbul Protocol for employees of the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Forensic Medicine and medical staff of the penitentiary system of Uzbekistan.
The training was aimed at enhancing the skills of forensic experts and medical staff in penitentiary facilities and forensic experts. The course covered key aspects of torture prevention as well as the documentation of torture and ill-treatment cases in line with international standards.
During the training, 30 participants learned about international mechanisms for preventing torture, as well as national legislation in Uzbekistan governing the treatment of those in detention. The main focus was on the Istanbul Protocol, an international document that serves as the standard for the medical documentation of torture. Participants 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 centers and prisons.
An important part of the training were practical exercises, including interviewing torture victims and learning methods for collecting reliable information. Experts also discussed the trauma and the emotional impact that medical personnel may experience when working with torture victims and strategies for managing such effects.
The event was opened jointly by Akmal Saidov, the First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and Director of the National Human Rights Centre; PCUz Senior Project Officer Andrew Yurkovsky; Bakhodir Yusupov, the Head of the Medical Department, Penitentiary Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan; and Amriddin Umarov, Deputy Director of the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Forensic Medicine.
