Monitoring of detention facilities helps prevent torture, says Deputy Head of OSCE Centre in Bishkek

BULAN-SOGOTTU, Kyrgyzstan, 18 August 2011 – Representatives of non-governmental organizations and the Ombudsman’s office began discussions today to develop a joint methodology for monitoring detention facilities at a meeting organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

The two-day meeting in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul province forms part of Kyrgyzstan’s work to prevent torture in detention facilities. A network of groups set up to monitor and report on human rights situation in detention facilities is taking part in the meeting.  The agenda focused on problems already identified by these groups.

“NGOs, media, international organizations and citizens have made numerous reports about torture committed by law enforcement personnel, raising the need for a professional, verifiable and reliable methodology which can be used by the civil society to monitor and report on such cases. A structured approach to dealing with this problem will also help Kyrgyzstan meet its international obligations in torture prevention,” said Lilian Darii, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

Sardar Bagyshbekov, the Chairman of the NGO Golos Svobody, said: “A joint methodology for monitoring places of detention will give us more opportunities to support and develop communication among relevant state authorities.”

The meeting is held as following a memorandum signed in June in which the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Office of the Ombudsman and civil society organizations agreed to co-operate to monitor detention facilities and to address any identified cases of torture. 

The meeting formed part of an OSCE Centre project to address torture in Kyrgyzstan through local human rights mechanisms.