CAT/C/UZB/CO/4 31. The Committee requests the State party to provide, by 23 November 2014, followup information in response to the Committee’s recommendations related to (a) eradication of widespread torture and ill-treatment, (b) eradication of harassment, arbitrary imprisonment and alleged torture of human rights defenders and (c) ensuring the respect of fundamental legal safeguards as contained in paragraphs 7, 8 and 13 of the present document. In addition, the Committee requests follow-up information on ensuring the investigation and prosecution of acts of torture and ill-treatment and ensuring that judges ask all defendants in criminal cases whether or not they were tortured or ill-treated in custody and order independent medical examinations whenever necessary, as contained in paragraphs 9 and 16 (b) of the present document. 32. The State party is invited to submit its next report, which will be the fifth periodic report, by 23 November 2017. To that purpose, the Committee invites the State party to accept, by 23 November 2014, to report under its optional reporting procedure, consisting in the transmittal, by the Committee to the State party, of a list of issues prior to the submission of the report. The response of the State party to this list of issues will constitute, under article 19 of the Convention, its next periodic report. 11