Death_Penalty_2005_nowy.qxd 2005-09-08 17:00 Page 24 THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE OSCE AREA Moratorium An official moratorium on executions is in place. A moratorium was initially introduced by a presidential decree that entered into force on 8 December 1998. The moratorium has subsequently been extended on an annual basis. The current moratorium will be in place until the end of 2005.64 The UN Human Rights Committee has commended the moratorium on executions and has urged Kyrgyzstan to extend it indefinitely and to commute the sentences of individuals on death row.65 The government treats information on the number and identity of individuals subject to the moratorium as confidential. According to unofficial sources, there are at least 160 people on death row in Kyrgyzstan.66 Prison conditions on death row in Kyrgyzstan have been widely criticized by local and international human rights groups. Kyrgyz Ombudsman Tursunbai Bakir-uulu has noted that inmates on death row are often kept in unacceptable conditions.67 The presidential decree extending the moratorium recommends that additional resources be allocated to improve conditions for those sentenced to death. Method of execution Shooting68 STATISTICS Death sentences According to official statistics provided by the Ministry of Justice, 17 individuals were sentenced to death during the period from 30 June 2004 to 30 June 2005. One sentenced person is a citizen of another country, Kazakhstan. No information on their identities was provided. Three of these sentences have entered into force (i.e., all appeals stages have been exhausted). Of these three individuals, two were sentenced for murder, and one for rape of a female minor. 64 65 66 67 68 Presidential Decree No. 4 “On prolongation of the term of the moratorium on execution of the death penalty in the Kyrgyz Republic”, 10 January 2005. Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee, CCPR/CO/69/KGZ, 24 July 2000, Paragraph 8. “Kyrgyz Rights Ombudsman asks law enforcement agencies not to extradite suspects to death-penalty countries”, Associated Press, 14 June 2004. “Central Asia: trend is away from capital punishment”, RFE/RL, 10 December 2004. Article 155(2) of the Criminal Executive Code, 13 December 1999. This article also provides that executions should not be carried out in public. 24