According to the information service of the Human Rights Representative of Oliy Majlis (Ombudsman), on November 18, the Children’s Ombudsman Aliya Yunusova met with two children who are accused of the death of a 15-year-old boy and who are currently in prison at the Fergana regional prosecutor’s office. During the conversation, they confessed their guilt. They also stated that they were not subjected to torture, mental or physical pressure.

In the official report, it is said that the Children’s Ombudsman gave her recommendations on the protection of the rights and interests of the child in dialogue with the representatives of the law enforcement agencies. However, it was not specified exactly what recommendations Aliya Yunusova gave.

“On November 10, Children’s Ombudsman Aliya Yunusova studied the activities of the DIA Juvenile Socio-Legal Assistance Center in Kokand in cooperation with the Fergana Regional Child Protection Secretariat. The proposals and recommendations of the Ombudsman were sent to the relevant ministries and agencies in order to eliminate the errors and deficiencies identified during the monitoring in the center,” the message reads.

It should be recalled that a 15-year-old teenager who was detained for robbing products worth 17,000 soums in a shopping center and was handed over to police officers. Then he was placed in the Juvenile Socio-Legal Assistance Center in Kokand by the decision of the head of the Buvayda district DIA on October 16. 

According to the regional prosecutor’s office, on October 17, the young man fainted and his health worsened, he died while being taken to the hospital, despite the fact that the emergency medical personnel provided assistance to him.

According to the preliminary conclusion of the forensic examination, the cause of the young boy’s death was “a closed head injury, a subdural hemorrhage, and a rupture of the brain substance”.

Authorities say the deceased died in a fight with eight other children at the center. However, the boy’s relatives do not believe it. During Kun.uz investigation, it became known that the boy’s death was kept a secret from his relatives for a long time.

After the tragic incident, a service check was appointed against the center’s employees.

Allegedly, the head of the Juvenile Socio-Legal Assistance Center was released from his position following the service inspection conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Also, 3 employees were reprimanded for their shortcomings in their service activities. In order to determine the professional competence of 4 employees, it is decided to launch an extraordinary attestation.

2 employees of the internal affairs body, who were on duty on the day of the death, were removed from their duties because they left the detained teenagers unattended and did not prevent the quarrel, and the documents collected against them were submitted to the regional prosecutor’s office for legal action.

Khayot Shamsutdinov, the PGO press secretary, informed Kun.uz that 4 people were arrested today as part of this criminal case. Two of them are recently dismissed police officers. These employees are suspected of causing the death of a 15-year-old teenager due to their indifferent and unscrupulous attitude towards their duties.

According to blogger Olimjon Khaydarov from Fergana, one of the employees who was on duty on the night of the child’s death is the brother-in-law of the head of the Juvenile Socio-Legal Assistance Center, so the officials were on the verge of “closing” the case.

Khayot Shamsutdinov answered the question of a Kun.uz correspondent and said that he does not have information about who is relative of whom in the DIA system and this matter has nothing to do with the case.