Future law enforcement officers and diplomats learn about human rights in criminal proceedings at OSCE course in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT, 11 September 2015 – Forty students of the Interior Ministry’s Institute and the Foreign Ministry’s International Relations Institute discussed international human rights standards at the pre-trial stage of criminal proceedings and investigations at an OSCE-organized course concluding in Ashgabat tomorrow.

The four-day course addressed universally recognized international human rights standards and their application in criminal proceedings and forms of pre-trial procedure and adversarial system.

“The international community has developed numerous human rights standards related to criminal justice demonstrating the importance of guaranteeing human rights of persons involved in criminal proceedings,” said Vardon Deniz Hoca, Human Dimension Officer of OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “We believe this course will contribute to the host Government’s efforts aimed at the Constitutional reform.”

Two international experts elaborated on participation of suspects and defendants in criminal proceedings and guaranteeing their rights and freedoms, including the right to protection and competent legal assistance and freedom of personal integrity at the preliminary stage of investigations.

The course participants also looked at the mechanisms of guaranteeing human rights upon completion of preliminary investigations and exchanged views on the importance of international co-operation among pre-trial investigation agencies.