CAT/C/UZB/CO/5 serious conflicts of interest inherent to the procuratorial system persist, incentivizing procurators to unjustifiably discontinue preliminary investigations. 12. The Committee also regrets that the State party did not provide requested information on its investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment perpetrated during the period under review, including information on: claims that Bobomurod Razzakov was subjected to ill-treatment and denied medical care in detention in October 2016; the alleged ill-treatment and death in custody of Nuraddin Dzhumaniyazov in December 2016; the alleged torture and ill-treatment of Kadyr Yusupov, beginning in December 2018; and claims that Said-Abdulaziz Yusupov was arbitrarily detained and subjected to torture. The State party did not indicate whether authorities conducted a full investigation into allegations that Bobomurod Abdullaev was tortured in September 2017 or whether officials relied only on the results of a forensic medical evaluation in dismissing his allegations. The Committee regrets that the State party did not provide information requested concerning the court-ordered forensic medical examinations of allegations raised in court by Rashitjon Hamidovich Kadirov, the former Prosecutor-General of Uzbekistan; six co-defendants; and seven witnesses (arts. 2, 4, 12, 13, 15 and 16). 13. The State party should: (a) Take additional measures to ensure that all allegations of torture and illtreatment are promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by authorities independent of the alleged perpetrators, and consider establishing a special division of the Office of the Procurator tasked solely with carrying out thorough and independent investigations into official misconduct, including allegations of torture and illtreatment; (b) Ensure that all officials credibly accused of torture or ill-treatment are suspended from duty pending the investigation of the allegations against them, that all officials found to have engaged in torture or ill-treatment are immediately terminated from government service, and that all such individuals are subject to criminal prosecution in addition to any disciplinary penalties, and provide the Committee with information on the penalties applied to all officials found to have committed torture or ill-treatment; (c) Investigate allegations that procurators routinely fail to investigate complaints of torture and ill-treatment, discipline officials found to have ignored or inadequately investigated such complaints and take remedial measures; in particular, re-examine the allegations of torture and ill-treatment made by Bobomurod Razzakov, Nuraddin Dzhumaniyazov, Said-Abdulaziz Yusupov, Bobomurod Abdullaev, Kadyr Yusupov and Rashitjon Hamidovich Kadirov, and ensure that victims and their relatives obtain redress, including compensation and rehabilitation. Sexual violence against individuals deprived of their liberty 14. The Committee is seriously concerned at the State party’s assertion, in response to questions about specific cases raised by the Committee, that none of its authorities have identified any cases of violence against persons in detention facilities, that no women in detention have been subjected to any misconduct during the reporting period, and that the ombudsman has not received any complaints of sexual violence from persons deprived of their liberty. This is inconsistent with numerous reports the Committee has received of cases in which men and women in detention or their family members were threatened by public officials, specifically that they would be subjected to sexual violence if they refused to confess to crimes or to provide evidence against others. The Committee has also received reports of other cases in which women were subjected to sexual humiliation and threats of sexual violence by public officials while in their custody (arts. 2 and 11–16). 15. The State party should undertake an independent investigation into allegations that officials routinely subject men and women deprived of their liberty to sexual violence or to threats that such violence will be committed against them or members of their families if they refuse to confess to crimes or to implicate others. The State party should take urgent measures to curb this practice and ensure that officials who engage in such conduct are prosecuted and punished under article 235 of the criminal code. The State party should ensure that effective complaints mechanisms are accessible to individuals alleging such violence, particularly to women deprived of 4