The Anti-Torture Committee will be created in Uzbekistan, the Ombudsman Ulugbek Muhammadiev said today during a dialogue organized by the Yuksalish Public Movement.

“Over the past two years, we have been reporting before the parliament on the situation of human rights in the country, we are separately reporting on cases of violence and torture against people, we are publishing information about it. The MPs discussed these issues in detail. Based on the report findings, of course, we also submit our proposals, "he said.

However, Muhammadiev added, despite this, he had been receiving complaints (more than 100 in 2019) about the actions of police officers.

"They describe torture, ill-treatment and violence. We proposed the creation of a separate body to study such complaints. Based on this, a project has recently been developed to create a committee to combat torture," the Ombudsman said.

According to him, the other day the president signed a decree approving the National Strategy for Human Rights and the road map for its implementation. According to which, a video recording procedure of detainee is to be introduced with an explanation of his procedural rights and refusal from a lawyer. It also includes the issur of imposing obligations on law enforcement agencies to inform close relatives of the detainee, if there are none, then other relatives.

"Using the example of the case in Andijan: when a citizen was taken to a police department, while, his relatives were not notified about his whereabouts. This kind of situation should not be happening! All processes should be legal, just like in developed countries. That is, relatives should informed of whether the citizen was detained, where he is, what charges are brought against him," he stressed.