OSCE presents report on fair trials in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, 29 November 2007 - An OSCE trial monitoring report released today in Kyrgyzstan identifies the public's right to attend trials, investigation of defendants' allegations of torture and the presumption of innocence among steps needed for fair trial standards to be upheld in the country.

The report, presented to the Supreme Court in Bishkek and discussed at a public forum today, summarizes the results of a trial monitoring programme conducted on behalf of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in 2005 and 2006 in close co-operation with the Supreme Court.

"The right to a fair trial plays a crucial role in the maintenance of order, the rule of law and confidence in state authorities. This trial monitoring report contributes to that objective," said Mark Guthrie, Deputy Head of the ODIHR's Human Rights Department, which initiated the trial monitoring programme in co-operation with Kyrgyzstan's authorities.

OSCE participating States have committed to accept court observers as a confidence-building measure and to ensure transparency in the implementation of their commitments to fair judicial proceedings.

"People have the right to a fair trial. The OSCE is supporting Kyrgyzstan's efforts to improve the quality of jurisdiction in the light of the ongoing criminal justice reform," said Ambassador Markus Mueller, Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

A total of 26 trial monitors, trained by the ODIHR, monitored 1,134 court sessions in three city and 26 district courts. The report includes an assessment of the sessions' compliance with fair trial requirements, statistics and a list of recommendations to the authorities.

The project was implemented with financial support from the European Commission as part of the EC-ODIHR Joint Programme for Advancing Human Rights and Democratisation in Central Asia. The Governments of the Netherlands, Norway and the United States of America also provided financial support.