OSCE Centre conducts training course on Istanbul Protocol for medical staff of the armed forces in Kyrgyzstan
OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 16 October 2015 - The OSCE Centre in Bishkek organized a three-day training course for 25 officers from the medical services of the Kyrgyz armed forces on the Istanbul Protocol – a UN manual on documenting torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment.
The training course brought together medical staff from the General Staff of the Armed Forces (GSAF), the Defence Ministry, the National Guard and the State Border Service to enhance their understanding of the international and national standards for effectively documenting violence, torture and cruel treatment.
“We highly appreciate the decision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces to train medical personnel of the armed forces on the principles of the Istanbul Protocol,” said William Leaf, Special Representative of the Head of the OSCE Centre in Osh. “Independent forensic expertise can be attained through building the capacity of medical personnel in the sphere of torture and cruel treatment documentation as well as through implementing the Istanbul Protocol principles in the health sector.”
Talantbek Nurseitov, representative of the Medico-Military Directorate of GSAF, said: “Implementation of the Istanbul Protocol in Kyrgyzstan can be achieved through the joint co-operation and efforts of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Defence and Healthcare Ministries, and the OSCE.”
The participants also learned about the new procedures introduced by the Kyrgyz Healthcare Ministry on reporting about torture and violence committed within the military service.
This is the second round of training courses for medical personnel of the Kyrgyz armed forces, which was organized in co-operation with GSAF. The first was held on 16-18 September 2015 in Issyk-Kul for the medical personnel of Bishkek city, Chui, Naryn and Issyk-Kul provinces.