The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area relatives.134 Both the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee against Torture have expressed their concern about the lack of independence of the judiciary in Uzbekistan.135 In addition, the UN Human Rights Committee has also expressed its concern about “the continuing high number of convictions based on confessions made in pre-trial detention that were allegedly obtained by methods incompatible with article 7 of the Covenant [prohibition against torture or other ill-treatment]”.136 On 27 March 2006, in a report on the situation in specific countries or territories, the special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers reiterated his serious concern about the generally deteriorating human rights situation in Uzbekistan. He expressed particular concern regarding the conduct of the executive and prosecutorial authorities and the legislative framework in relation to the conduct of trials. He stressed the need for in-depth reforms of the judiciary, including the role of prosecutors, judges, and lawyers in the judicial process.137 In its concluding observations on the second periodic report submitted by Uzbekistan, the UN Human Rights Committee recalled that, in several cases, Uzbekistan had executed prisoners under sentence of death while their cases were pending before the Committee. The Committee reminded Uzbekistan that “disregard of the Committee’s requests for interim measures constitutes a grave breach of the state party’s obligations under the Covenant and the Optional Protocol”.138 In the reporting period, the UN Human Rights Committee examined four communications concerning the imposition of death penalty in 1999, 2000, and 2001.139 It found that the death sentences had been pronounced without meeting the requirements of a fair trial, as the accused were not provided with a lawyer at any stage of the proceedings. In addition, it found that the authorities had failed to adequately 134  Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Mission to Uzbekistan, U.N. Doc. E/ CN.4/2003/68/Add.2, 3 February 2003. 135  Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Uzbekistan, U.N. Doc. CCPR/ CO/71/UZB, 26 April 2001; Concluding observations and recommendations of the Committee against Torture: Uzbekistan, U.N. Doc. CAT/C/CR/28/7, 6 June 2002; Concluding observations, op. cit., note 133. 136  Concluding observations, op. cit., note 133, para. 10. 137  Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, Corrigendum, Situation in specific countries or territories, U.N. Doc. E/CN.4/2006/52/Add.1, 27 March 2006, para. 297. 138  Concluding observations, op. cit., note 133, para. 6. 139  U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/87/D/959/2000, 8/08/2006, Communication No. 959/2000; CCPR/C/89/ D/1043/2002, 3/04/2007 Communication No. 1043/2002; U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/89/D/1071/2002, 3/03/2007, Communication No. 1071/2002; U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/88/D/1057/2002, 10/11/2006, Communication No. 1057/2002. 42