An international roundtable on the "Abolition of the death penalty and transfer of the right to issue arrest sanctions to courts – demonstration of further intensification of reforms in Uzbekistan" was held at the Tashkent State Institute of Law in Tashkent.

The representatives of foreign embassies and international organizations accredited in Uzbekistan participated in the event, UzA reported.

The results of the liberalization of the criminal-legal sphere, the prospects of further reforms in the legal system of Uzbekistan, as well as the experience of the courts in other countries of the world, particularly in the use of criminal punishment and taking into custody were the central topic of discussion during the meeting.

Among those who spoke at the meeting were the Minister of Justice of Uzbekistan F. Atahanov, the rector of Tashkent State Law Institute, Member of the Senate of Oliy Majlis M. Rustamboev, the Director of the National Centre for Human Rights A. Saidov, the Professor of Bremen University in Germany R. Kniper. They supported the idea that the main essence of the legal reforms being implemented by President Karimov’s administration is the consistent humanization, and support of the moral-spiritual potential of the society. They also noted on the importance of the Presidential Decrees "On the abolition of the death penalty in the Republic of Uzbekistan" and "On the transfer of the right to issue arrest sanctions to courts", passed in August 2005.

The Senate’s approval of the Laws "On introduction of amendments and additions to certain legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan due to abolition of the death penalty" and "On introduction of amendments and additions to certain legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan due to the transfer of the right to issue arrest sanctions to courts" were another step towards the liberalization of the national legal system.

Roundtable participants exchanged opinions on the new arrest procedure and the conditions of its application, as well as the exclusion of the death penalty from the system of criminal punishments. Special interest was shown in the acts on the application of this measure of preclusion, the order of appeal, the deadlines and possibilities of extension of the period under custody.

Foreign experts highly appraised the level of reforms in the legal system of Uzbekistan, and stressed the fact that the country leader’s initiatives are taking the Uzbek legal system to a quality new level of development.