In 2020, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman) and the International Office of Penitentiary Reform in Central Asia, within the framework of which a number of projects are being implemented aimed at improving the qualifications of representatives of national human rights institutions, government agencies and organizations, civil society institutions in country.

In particular, judges and employees of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Secretariat of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Uzbekistan were familiarized with the content of the methodology developed within the framework of the project to strengthen the rule of law in Central Asia, prepared with the financial support of international prison reform.

This methodology addresses the issues of non-custodial alternative measures in jurisprudence for judges. According to this guideline, imprisonment is one of the most common types of punishment, which can lead to a number of negative consequences, including worsening the financial situation of the convict's family, family breakdown, and the acquisition of criminal skills by individuals, which in turn can lead to repeated crimes.

According to the current legislation, the court can replace the unserved part of the sentence with a milder sentence for persons sentenced to imprisonment - restraint of freedom or correctional labor. Replacement with a lighter punishment is applied to convicts who have fulfilled the established procedural requirements for certain types of punishment and who carry out honest labor.

At the event, it was noted that the country has created a new system of punishments not related to imprisonment, effective control over the behavior of persons under the supervision of probation departments, which reduces the number of repeated crimes by detainees.

The Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman) F. Eshmatova noted that these reforms in the country's judicial system serve to return the offender to his family, help him overcome his shortcomings and adapt in society. In her opinion, such a practice, introduced taking into account modern international standards and advanced foreign experience, will provide positive results in the purposeful education of the offender and the correction of his behavior.

During the international event, the participants got acquainted with the developed methodology for the use of alternative measures not related to imprisonment in court proceedings, and also expressed their views on its improvement.

 Press Service of the Authorized  Person  of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman)