OSCE supports seminar on Istanbul Protocol to help investigate torture cases in Kazakhstan

An OSCE-supported three-day training seminar “Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Inhuman Treatment in Accordance with the Istanbul Protocol” concluded on 23 June 2018 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

The seminar aimed at helping practitioners to enhance their professional skills and put in practical use effective approaches in the investigation of torture cases.

Over 30 prosecutors, defence lawyers and forensic experts from the Turkestan Region learned about different aspects of human rights and definitions of torture, ill-treatment, inhumane and degrading treatment and punishment. International and national experts provided a detailed overview on the criteria for investigating, collecting evidence and documenting findings in relation to torture cases, in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol, which serves as an international standard in the medical and psychological examination of the alleged victims of torture. Participants were also engaged in the examination of concrete scenarios and mock exercises.

The event was the third in a series of annual seminars on Istanbul Protocol organized by the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office in cooperation with the UNDP Kazakhstan and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, as part of the Office’s continuous efforts to combat torture in the host country.