UZBEKISTAN. PRESSURE TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY GROWING - WEB SITE EDITORIAL

According to the Uzbek law-enforcement agencies, 62 convicts were put to death in the country in 2004. As is known, the only two despotic countries in the CIS, Uzbekistan and Belarus, favour keeping the death penalty.
However, in Uzbekistan of late some Uzbek lawyers have started speaking out in favour of abolishing the death penalty, in support of international organizations and local human rights groups that have long been campaigning against the death penalty. A case in point is a seminar that was held at the Prosecutor-General's Office this week. The forum, attended by the Uzbek ombudsman and legal experts, showed an inclination towards abolishing the death penalty. And on a similar note, in recent days representatives from rock groups in Russia sent a message to the Uzbek and Belarusian presidents demanding an end to prison torture and the abolition of the death penalty.”