Lawyers in Uzbekistan speak about threats of physical violence against them

 On January 28, 2019, the official website of the Chamber of Lawyers of Uzbekistan published the results of an anonymous survey of abuses and illegal actions against lawyers. 
 
In particular, analytical material about systemic violations of the rights of lawyers in the course of their professional activities was set forth by the prosecuting bodies, investigations and courts. 
 
The survey involved 3553 lawyers – 91% of all professional lawyers of the country. 
 
Thus, the number of cases of obstruction of meetings of lawyers with their clients was 461 at the stage of inquiry and 328 – during investigations. 
 
According to official information of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, in the pre-trial detention centers and penitentiary institutions only in 2018, the number of meetings between lawyers and their defendants was 29,766. 
 
In addition, 597 lawyers indicated the lack of separate meeting rooms for lawyers with their clients. In each pre-trial detention center and institution for executing closed-type punishments (there are 32 institutions in the country with 69 special rooms), lawyers were allocated special rooms. 
 
According to results of the survey, the number of cases of insulting and other degrading lawyer attitudes on the part of investigative authorities is 209. However, in 2018, only 2 appeals from lawyers were received by the prosecutor’s office throughout the country, considered in the manner prescribed by law. 
 
Also, despite 208 cases of threat of physical violence voiced in the survey, during 2018, the law enforcement agencies and internal affairs did not receive from lawyers any official appeal of such content. 
 
All information, voiced on the basis of an anonymous survey, is an essential signal for a critical analysis of the state of law enforcement. 
 
“Lawyers who are directly confronted with the facts of obstruction of their professional activities and encroachments are kindly requested to contact the General Prosecutor’s Office. Each lawyer's appeal of such content will be reviewed and decided under the control of the Prosecutor General of Uzbekistan in an individual and transparent manner,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said.