The first facility visited was Correctional Colony No. 1, located in Kogon district of Bukhara region. The colony, designed for 1,700 convicts, had previously faced difficulties in providing medical services due to the limited capacity of its medical unit.

Following the Ombudsman’s request, funds were allocated to establish an expanded 24-bed medical unit at the facility, and today the opening ceremony of the new medical unit took place.

During the visit, living conditions, food provision, access to medical care, work conditions for convicts, as well as the state of long-term and short-term meeting rooms were reviewed. Recommendations were provided for eliminating the identified shortcomings.

Convicts held in this facility had previously requested an opportunity for a personal meeting with the Ombudsman. Therefore, within the framework of the monitoring, both group and individual interviews were conducted, and complaints were received. Complaints placed in the "Ombudsman Box" were also collected for further examination.

The next facility visited was the Special Reception Centre of the regional Department of Internal Affairs for persons subjected to administrative arrest. It should be noted that the Ombudsman’s Regional Representative in Bukhara had previously proposed at the session of the Regional Council of People’s Deputies that an additional building be constructed due to the Special Reception Centre holding significantly more individuals than its designated capacity. The proposal was supported, funds were allocated, and construction works are currently underway.

Additionally, on 26–27 November, employees of the Office of the Ombudsman examined conditions at the Rehabilitation Centre, Correctional Colony No. 17, the regional branch of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Narcology Centre in Bukhara, the facility for holding persons in a state of intoxication, the Psychiatric Clinic, Pre-trial Detention Facility No. 4, the Women’s Mercy House, and the regional Temporary Detention Centre (TDC).

During the monitoring visits, special attention was paid to dormitory areas, washrooms, canteens, medical units, storage facilities for food and medicines, libraries, sports halls, activity rooms, recreation spaces, telephone access, long-term and short-term meeting rooms, search rooms, exercise yards, rooms for investigators and lawyers, as well as the functionality of surveillance cameras installed throughout the institutions.

It should be noted that analytical reports prepared by the Ombudsman based on the results of monitoring visits conducted within the framework of torture prevention, including identified shortcomings, are submitted to the Chambers of the Oliy Majlis.

Press Service of the Commissioner of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman)