The Subcommission on Human Rights (DROI) holds a public hearing on the rule of law in Central Asia, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Human rights in Central Asia: extracts from the public hearing

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Exterior view of the European Parliament in Brussels

SOUNDBITE (English) Shaoyi Lee, Director of Environmental Policy and Development of Kazakhstan: "We are interested that those issues will be also addressed in the frameworks of the EU Central Asian strategy, the Commission's assistance progra&eacute;s to the region and as the first step, we suggest considering possibilities to include the social justice and social developpement issues into priority scenes for high-level political dialogue within the EU-Central Asia strategy.

SOUNDBITE (English) Cholpon Jakupova, head of the Adilet human rights organisation in Kyrgyzstan: "We need to establish a technical assistance program for governmental structure, to establish a computer program in order to create this database to change the Propiska registration system in our country. We need technical assistance for providing experts from European countries, or even CIS countries, from Baltic countries maybe, that changed the Propiska system in their own country and can provide technical assistance and knowledge."

SOUNDBITE (English) Umida Niyazova, Director of Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights: "I have to say that dozens of my human rights activist colleagues are in jail now because of their peaceful human rights activity."

SOUNDBITE (English) Umida Niyazova, Director of Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights: "The registration regime is justified by the need to combat terrorism and religious extremis. In practice, registration system is a paradise for corruption, permanent residence in the city of Tashkent is determined by the decision of the Special Committee of Registration. The amount of the bribes to obtain a residence permit rises up to 5.000 dollars."

SOUNDBITE (English) Victor Andres Maldonado, Head of Unit for Central Asia in the European Commission's Directorate General for External Relations: " I can tell you, it has been an active participation of the five Central Asian countries. At the level of being of the High Judges on the Supreme Courts participating actively in the discussions."

SOUNDBITE (English) Victor Andres Maldonado, Head of Unit for Central Asia in the European Commission's Directorate General for External Relations: " We need obviously political will by the Central Asian countries. The EU cannot force any country in the world to undertake any reform or to undertake any program they do not want to. The programs I mentioned before have been already agreed as the focal points with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, so there is hope for the future."

Human rights in Central Asia: extracts from the public hearing

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