Uzbekistan and Turkey agree on handing over prisoners to each other upon request

On October 18, at the plenary session of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, the draft law “On the ratification of the agreement on the transfer of prisoners between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Government of the Republic of Turkey” was considered and adopted in the 3rd reading, Kun.uz correspondent reports.

According to Deputy Prosecutor General Erkin Yuldoshev, an agreement was signed during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Uzbekistan in March 2022. The draft law on the approval of the contract was developed in accordance with the plan of practical measures for development of security, military and military technological cooperation between Uzbekistan and Turkey, approved by the Secretary General of the Security Council of Uzbekistan on May 18, 2022.

“This agreement, consisting of 24 articles, describes the procedure for transferring convicts who are serving a sentence in the territory of the contracting state that issued the sentence and who are citizens of another contracting state to the state where the sentence is executed.

In particular, a convict can be transferred from the territory of the party where the sentence was issued to the territory of the party where the sentence is executed to serve the sentence (in full) or the rest of it. The sentence imposed on the convict is carried out based on the judgment of the court of the party where the sentence was issued.

After the convict is handed over, all costs shall be borne by the party against whom the judgment is enforced. According to the agreement, the General Prosecutor’s Office is considered the central body by Uzbekistan for requests for transfer and other issues,” Kun.uz correspondent quotes Erkin Yuldoshev as saying.

Also, the fact that convicts serve their sentence in their own country and see their relatives on a regular basis has a positive effect on their return to society.

At the meeting, deputy Doniyor Ganiyev asked from which sources the expenses provided for in the agreement will be covered. Speaker Nuriddin Ismoilov said that funds have been allocated to one of the law enforcement agencies for such tasks.

Deputies adopted the draft law in the 3rd reading, excluding the 2nd and 3rd stages of consideration. Now this law will enter into force after it is approved by the upper house of parliament – the Senate and signed by the President.