OSCE's human rights office welcomes progress in reform of Kyrgyz prison system

WARSAW, 9 November 2001 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) welcomes the Kyrgyz Government's decision to place the country's prison system under the authority of the Ministry of Justice. The transfer will also include pre-trial facilities, which distinguishes the scope of the reform from other countries in the region.

"Provided the transfer will be implemented, Kyrgyzstan would be the first country in Central Asia to fully carry out this important reform", said the Director of the OSCE's human rights office, Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann. "We very much welcome this decision and stand ready to continue to assist the Kyrgyz authorities in reforming the country's prison system."

The ODIHR supports the transfer of prison and pre-trial detention systems from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Justice as an important step towards the demilitarization of prisons and a clear separation between prosecution and detention - a key safeguard against abuses of prisoners in custody. With its decision to place the prison system, and, in particular, the pre-trial detention facilities, under the Ministry of Justice, Kyrgyzstan would be the first country in Central Asia to bring its prison administration structure in line with international standards.

The ODIHR encourages bilateral or multilateral donors to provide financial or material support to this important reform process.