Prisoners' rights the focus of OSCE-supported training course in Turkmenistan
ASHGABAT, 9 April 2010 - Twenty-seven prison officers from Turkmenistan's penitentiary institutions and three Police Academy instructors participated in a training course on international legal standards for the treatment of prisoners that concluded in Ashgabat today.
The three-day training course organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in close co-operation with the Interior Ministry and the Police Academy of Turkmenistan aimed to further promote officers' awareness about the rights of prisoners.
International experts from Georgia and Latvia outlined international human rights standards and discussed their application to the work of prison officials. Participants discussed case studies on topics such as freedom and personal security, disciplinary procedures and punishment, requests, complaints and access to legal assistance, as well as on international standards related to the prisoners' right to health.
The seminar also contributed to further improving the capacity of Police Academy instructors to provide additional human rights education.
"This training course builds on the successful co-operation in this area initiated last year by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and Turkmenistan. Such courses help sensitize prison officials to their important role in promoting and protecting human rights in penitentiary institutions," said Ambassador Arsim Zekolli, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.
As part of the project, the Centre handed over to the library of the Police Academy more than 1,500 publications on human rights. In addition, the Centre in co-operation with the Police Academy of Turkmenistan is currently drafting a training manual on the rights of prisoners. The manual will assist teachers of the Academy in delivering lectures on international standards and national legislation related to prisoners' rights in Turkmenistan.