Raising concerns about torture in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at the 2015 OSCE HDIM

At this year’s Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw, representatives of the coalitions against torture in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland) and International Partnership for Human Rights present their analyzes of the situation regarding torture and ill-treatment in the three Central Asian countries to representatives of participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and civil society participants.

On 24 September the human rights groups conducted a side-event on “Mechanisms to investigate torture allegations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: problems and solutions“ and on 25 September another side-event will be held that is entitled “Implementation of the Istanbul Protocol in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan“. Here you find documents summarizing the issues discussed during the side events:

• Mechanisms to investigate torture allegations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Problems and solutions
• Implementation of the Istanbul Protocol in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Also on 25 September, during the HDIM’s Working session 8 on the Rule of Law, the NGOs will present information on a range of other concerns pertaining to torture in the three Central Asian countries. Here you can find the relevant documents:

• Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan need to do more to end torture
• Kazakhstan fails to implement UN treaty body decisions on individual cases
• Kyrgyzstan’s failure to provide detainees with access to basic safeguards
• Torture and ill-treatment rife in the armed forces of Tajikistan
• Failure to provide adequate reparation to victims of torture in Tajikistan

The human rights groups will conduct these activities in the framework of the EU-funded project “Action for Freedom from Torture in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan“. Co-sponsor: Open Society Foundations.