Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 19 September, a presentation of the guide “Gender-based violence in places of detention: prevention and counteraction”, published in the Uzbek language, took place in Tashkent.

The event was organized by the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights and the Office of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.

Akmal Saidov, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, Director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, made a speech and noted that the prohibition of cruel treatment and torture is a fundamental right recognized in international human rights treaties and in the national legislation of countries around the world.

According to the new edition of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, no one can be subjected to torture, violence or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The new Uzbekistan is implementing comprehensive measures to prevent torture and violence. Legislative, institutional, educational and control mechanisms have been created to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens. Systematic and consistent work is being carried out to develop cooperation with international and regional human rights mechanisms and international human rights organizations.

It’s no secret that problems accumulated over the years in the social sphere and in the financial situation of families have a negative impact on relationships between family members, and in some cases lead to family divorces, violation of women’s rights, and sometimes to suicide. In this sense, at the initiative of the head of our state, in recent years, special attention has been paid to solving the problems of women and their socio-economic support.

The purpose of the manual, presented in the Uzbek language, is to help improve the competence and skills of specialists from relevant government bodies and civil society institutions of our country in the field of preventing and combating gender-based violence in places of detention.

Bringing together standards, approaches and practical examples from across the OSCE region, the new publication is aimed primarily at legislative and judicial practitioners, including lawyers, prosecutors and judges, as well as all other personnel involved in investigations, interrogations and arrests.

During the presentation, Isabel Sylvia Hartmann, OSCE/ODIHR human rights specialist, spoke.

She noted that this collection, now published in Uzbek, includes examples from different countries of the OSCE region, showing what measures states can take to suppress and prevent sexual and gender-based violence in places of detention, subject to respect for human rights and taking into account the gender aspects of this problem.

In addition, the publication provides specific examples of court cases that reflect the main milestones in the development of relevant judicial practice.

During the event, national experts presented the current national standards of Uzbekistan for the prevention of gender-based violence in places of detention.

The presentation was attended by employees of the Department of Execution of Punishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard, the University of Public Security, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Law Enforcement Academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.