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Initiation of proceedings for torture victims often denied in Kyrgyzstan

Prosecutor’s office in most cases refuses to initiate criminal proceedings on torture facts. Inspector of the ombudsman’s office Alban Toktobek uulu told at a round table discussion.

According to him, this is explained by the fact that many of the arguments cited by the applicants are not confirmed.

«Torture is not confirmed as a result of late application. In addition, refusal to initiate a criminal case depends on the results of an examination. Evidence of this is the official statistics of the Prosecutor General’s Office. In 2016, the supervisory authority received 435 applications, refusal to initiate criminal proceedings amounted to 92 percent. In 2017, the Prosecutor General’s Office received 325 applications, 88 percent also received refusal,» said Alban Toktobek uulu.

He noted that one of the problems contributing to the ineffectiveness of the investigation of torture was the problem of inadequate documentation of physical and mental evidence of ill-treatment.

«Judicial experts conducting an examination of torture victims should have specific knowledge in judicial documentation and other forms of physical and psychological violence. A comprehensive, complete and objective approach to research is needed. A medical report must be based on facts, carefully reasoned and formulated,» Alban Toktobek uulu added.

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