OSCE trains Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies on victim and witness protection
The OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s Interior Ministry and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office conducted on 15 and 16 July 2014 a training seminar for law enforcement bodies on effective measures in protecting victims and witnesses of organized and serious crimes.
The course drew on international standards and best practices with the aim of increasing the knowledge of law enforcement agencies in implementing effective protection mechanisms for victims and witnesses in criminal proceedings.
The course brought together 60 police officers, prosecutors, officials from the State Committee on National Security and the State Drug Control Agency, penitentiary service and State Service on fight against economic crimes. The training was led by Vytautas Gailiushas, the head of the First Special Task Unit on the protection of victims and witnesses of the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office.
“We hope that new skills acquired by the participants in the training seminar will be used to enhance the fight against organized crime by ensuring more effective prosecutions based on co-operation with victims and witness,” said Victor Sotchi, Head of the Police Matters Programme at the OSCE Centre. “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports the Government in its commitment to fight organized crime and to improve the protection of victims and witnesses on the basis of the Government’s State Programme on the Safety of Witnesses, Victims and Other Participants of Criminal Proceedings 2014-2016.”
The Law on the protection of witnesses, victims and other participants in criminal proceedings was adopted in 2006. It introduced for the first time in the legislation of Kyrgyzstan concepts such as state protection measures and grounds for their application as well as tasking state actors with implementing the measures for participants in criminal proceedings.