A/HRC/4/33/Add.2 Page 123 691. According to information received from NGOs and other sources, neither international nor local NGOs have unimpeded access to prisons or other places of detention. The ICRC, which has not been able to visit detention facilities since late 2004, has sought a constructive dialogue with the Uzbek authorities in order to resume its visits. On the contrary, amendments to the Criminal Code have increased the power of the authorities to penalize non-governmental organizations. In 2005 and 2006 a significant number of domestic as well as international nongovernmental organizations have been closed. 692. The Government informed that the NGOs’ claim that neither national nor international NGOs have access to prisons or other places of detention does not reflect reality. The claim that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has not been able to visit places of detention since 2004, tried to establish a constructive dialogue with the authorities of Uzbekistan in order to restart their visits, is unfounded. 693. Uzbekistan’s penitentiary system is open to international and national NGOs. Institutions were repeatedly visited by delegates from the European Commission, the ICRC, the Embassies of the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Iran, Turkey and others, but also journalists from BBC’s Channel 4, France Press, Associated Press, Reuter etc and representatives of the International Council for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture. Similarly, there is cooperation with Uzbek mass media. The Republican press, radio and television show materials about the functioning of the penitentiary system. Work with local NGOs is ongoing(See also E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.2, para. 362). 694. On 30 November 2004, the instruction, “On the Organisation of Visits of Places of Detention by Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, International and Local Nongovernmental Organisations and Media Representatives”, elaborated by the Ministry of Interior, was registered by the Ministry of Justice. It was re-enforced by the Ministry of Interior’s Order n. 346. One of the major novelties contained in this instruction is the right of persons seeking to visit a prison to appeal a denial to the courts. Also, the instruction clearly identifies the responsible institutions and limits the delays within which decisions about visits have to be taken. 695. To organise the work with NGOs internal instructions were elaborated, which led to Ministry of Interior order n. 268, issued on 8 October 2004 “On the Approval of Instructions with regard to a model agreement on cooperation between institutions and organs of the penitentiary system with NGOs”. The aim of these instructions was to define the main principles and criteria of interaction between NGOs and the penitentiary system, to bring them in line with legislation and guarantee their uniform implementation. 696. A sign of Uzbekistan’s openness for international cooperation and of its adherence to democratic values is the long-standing cooperation with ICRC, which started on 17 January 2001. Between 2001 and 2004 the ICRC representatives undertook 90 visits to places of detention, which covered almost all institutions in the country. However, on 13 December 2004, they stopped these visits unilaterally. Uzbekistan appreciates the work of ICRC and considers that fruitful cooperation can be based only on dialogue. The Uzbek side considers that it is important to resolve problems without superfluous political engagement and on the basis of mutual confidentiality. Therefore a number of meetings were organised by the MFA with the