The law was submitted to the Oliy Majlis for consideration by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan as a legislative initiative. It is aimed at further improving the legislative framework for the protection of citizens’ rights in the course of judicial and investigative activities, taking into account the best foreign experience and envisageses introduction of changes and additions to the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Law on the Prosecutor’s Office, the Senate press service said.

The provisions of the law establish the criminal liability for falsification (forgery) of evidence, responsibility for perjury and false denunciation is increased. A relevant norm is introduced prohibiting the use of evidence obtained by unlawful methods or by depriving or restricting the rights of the participants in the process that are legally guaranteed.

It also prohibits introduction of additional requirements restricting the principle of open criminal proceedings in courts, responsibility for the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment is increasing.

In addition, the law extends the rights of detainees to judicial review of an absentee measure of restraint in the form of detention, as well as the rights of counsel to collect and present evidence, requirements are imposed for mandatory video recording of examination of the crime venue, the investigatory experiment, and the conduct of shorthand in the judicial process proceedings. An order is established according to which appeals for the use of unlawful methods in collection and consolidation of evidence are subject to mandatory verification by the prosecutor or the court with forensic or other examination.

The law also introduces norms on obligation of the prosecutor to conduct inspections to ensure compliance with the requirements of the criminal procedure legislation on immediate registration and resolution of applications, communications and other information on crimes obtained from persons serving sentences of imprisonment, detained or subjected to administrative arrest.