This report, based on data collected from monitoring, describes the real situation surrounding the use of torture in Uzbekistan, and maintains that torture and abuse by police and investigating authorities remain systemic, unpunished, and are tacitly encouraged by senior government officials. Despite the fact that national legislation and international documents ratified by Uzbekistan prohibit the use of torture, all of these commitments exist solely on paper and are not implemented in practice. The issue of torture is not covered in the local mass media and has never been publicly condemned in the press by any senior officials in Uzbekistan. Law enforcement officials are unaccountable to the public, creating an atmosphere that gives law enforcement free reign and leaves citizens defenseless in protecting their personal rights and freedoms.
Photo: Raykhon Soatova
