Employees of internal affairs department allegedly broke a prisoner’s ribs in Samarkand

On 23 October this year, on the Facebook page of the Public Association of Human Rights of Uzbekistan "Legal Base", a message titled "Did Internal Affairs officers use violence or did someone "fall off a motorcycle" was widely circulated.  In the article, it was stated that three ribs of a suspect were broken and there were injury marks on the body as a result of torture by the internal affairs officers against the prisoner A.E., who lives in Urgut district.

A.E. was arrested by the Internal Affairs officers on 1 October this year.  For almost 20 days, he was kept in the investigative detention center in the city of Kattakurgan without seeing his relatives or a lawyer, and a criminal case was initiated against him under Article 25, 273, Part 5 of the Criminal Code.

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Oliy Majlis (Ombudsman) gave an official response to the news.

It is noted that to clarify the communication, the regional representative of the Ombudsman in the Samarkand region, Diyor Khusanov, left on 23 September for the remand center 7 in the Samarkand region and detained A.E. by chance.

During the interview, A.E. confirmed the circumstances described in the report, stated that he had been injured, and sought practical assistance from the Ombudsman in investigating the situation and prosecuting the officers concerned.

"The study also provided information on the prisoner’s state of health.

On behalf of the Ombudsman, the Office of the Procurator-General of the Republic of Uzbekistan sent a comprehensive, full, and legal investigation into the A.E. prisoner’s communication and the above-mentioned communications."

It should be remembered that the law "On the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Supreme Majlis" and the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "Additional measures to improve the system of detection and prevention of torture" By the Resolution "The Ombudsman, public groups for revealing facts of torture and making petitions for their prompt elimination to the appropriate state body and in cases of torture" shall be asked to participate in the consideration of such petitions.