death_penalty_new.qxd 02-08-27 12:57 Page 58 THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE OSCE AREA 4.17 UZBEKISTAN233 RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS International Instruments Signed Ratified Article 6 of the ICCPR Yes Yes Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR No No Article 37 (a) of the CRC Yes Yes LEGAL FRAMEWORK Status: Retentionist Scope: The death penalty is a legal punishment for crimes committed in peacetime and in wartime. The death penalty is envisaged for four crimes234. These are murder with aggravating circumstances, terrorism, act of aggression, and genocide235. In 1998 the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights announced that Uzbekistan was following a policy of abolishing the death penalty in stages. Accordingly on 29 August 1998 the Uzbek parliament abolished the death penalty in relation to five criminal offences. On 29 August 2001 the death penalty was removed for four other offences. These were treason, organization of criminal conspiracy, illegal sale of large quantities of narcotics and rape of women under 14 years of age. Moratorium: There is no moratorium on executions in place. Method of execution: Shooting236. After an execution has taken place, the body is not returned to the relatives and the place of burial is not disclosed237. 233 234 235 236 237 This entry was written with the assistance of the OSCE Centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and the Delegation the Republic of Uzbekistan to the OSCE who completed our questionnaire on the death penalty. Article 51 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 22 September 1994, last amended on 29 August 2001. Articles 97(2), 155(3), 151(2) and 153 of the Criminal Code. Article 140 of the Criminal Penalty Code, 1 October 1997. Article 140 of the Criminal Penalty Code. 58