OSCE Centre organizes course on human rights and safety for Kyrgyz prison security units

BISHKEK, 14 August, 2009 - An OSCE-supported human rights and safety course for security units in the Kyrgyz prison system ends tomorrow.

During the two-week course, 15 security officers from Bishkek and the northern Chui province updated their knowledge on OSCE and other international human rights and safety standards related to security and prisoner treatment.

"The OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports the penitentiary system reform of the Kyrgyz Republic, and this training course contributed to upgrading the prison service standards in the country," said Miroslaw Nowak, Penitentiary Reform Adviser in the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

Aibek Turganbaev, Head of the Kyrgyz Prison Administration, added: "This training course formed an important element of efforts aimed at improving security in penitentiaries."

The event was part of the OSCE Centre's programme of assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic to reform the penitentiary system.