OSCE organizes lecture course on human rights in the context of criminal justice in Turkmenistan
Some 100 law students from four institutions of higher education in Turkmenistan attended an OSCE-organized online course on the rights of suspects and defendants during all stages of criminal proceedings that took place from 14 to 18 November 2022.
The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the five-day course to expose students to international human rights standards applied in criminal proceedings and investigations and contribute to the modernization of human rights education in Turkmenistan.
International experts focused on the right to human liberty at the stage of pre-trial investigation and delivered presentations on ensuring the right of suspects and accused persons to a fair defence and legal counselling, as well as standards for custody, guarantees against ill treatment and the use of force.
"All 57 OSCE participating States recognize human rights as an inherent right of all people, inalienable and guaranteed by law; therefore strengthening their protection throughout the OSCE region is a key component of our organization's work,” said John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.
“The training course for students is one of those projects that we have been jointly carrying out for several years now and it is our firm belief that they will contribute to the implementation of the National Action Plan of Human Rights in Turkmenistan for 2021-2025,” MacGregor added.
The course also addressed gender-based violence, with an emphasis on domestic violence, and elaborated on the implementation of relevant international standards at the national level and best practices from OSCE participating States.
The event brought together students and teachers from the Institute under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Magtymguly Turkmen State University and International University for Humanities and Development of Turkmenistan.