Overcrowding in Uzbekistan’s detention centers

Detention centers in Uzbekistan are nearing full capacity, with investigative detention facilities experiencing a significant rise in occupancy, according to Supreme Court Chairman Bakhtiyor Islamov.

In a recent discussion with lawyers, Islamov noted that Uzbekistan had last seen such a situation in 2001.

"The high rate (97%) of preventive detention measures has led to overcrowded isolation cells. He recalled that in 2001, an interdepartmental commission was formed to assess conditions in temporary detention facilities, and suggested that building new detention centers is not the ideal solution to this recurring issue," the chairman highlighted.

To address the potential overuse of preventive detention, lawyer Bahrom Salomov proposed requiring prosecutors to provide evidence that a suspect might flee or intimidate witnesses before enforcing such measures. This could help reduce the pressure on detention facilities by encouraging more selective use of pretrial detention.