Uzbekistan

Interrogation techniques in criminal proceedings and the establishment of facts in court

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Published: October 6, 2026
Eröffnung des Trainings für Staatsanwältinnen und Staatsanwälte in Nurafschon, Usbekistan
Eröffnung des Trainings für Staatsanwältinnen und Staatsanwälte in Nurafschon, Usbekistan
Uzbekistan

As witnesses in criminal proceedings are heard in the main hearing due to the direct nature of the taking of evidence, the outcome of criminal proceedings depends directly on the quality of the statements obtained. Public prosecutors, too, form their convictions on the basis of the main hearing in criminal proceedings. Whilst the theory of questioning is covered in detail in police training in Uzbekistan, it is not covered at all, or at least not sufficiently, in training for public prosecutors.

It was precisely here that a practical training course organised by the IRZ, conducted jointly with the Tashkent Regional Public Prosecutor’s Office, began for Uzbek public prosecutors on 22 and 23 September 2026 in Nurafshon. Our aim: to ensure that indictments are constructed more effectively in future, with a view to strengthening criminal prosecution and improving the overall efficiency of criminal proceedings.

Teaching Methodology

Two experienced German judges taught methods for conducting interviews and explained how to assess evidence in criminal proceedings. At the same time, they highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of individual types of evidence and their impact on criminal proceedings. Through interactive exercises, participants were able to work on their soft skills in questioning witnesses and accused persons and discuss how the nature of the questions asked can influence the outcome of criminal proceedings.

Practical Handbook

The content of the training is underpinned by a comprehensive practical handbook. This format serves to ensure the long-term retention of knowledge, as it also provides professional benefits to a wider audience beyond the participants. Furthermore, it strengthens users’ motivation to engage more deeply with the fundamentals of interrogation theory    in their own day-to-day professional lives.   

Naturally, the translated handbook can be used not only by the Crown Prosecution Service, but equally by the judiciary and the legal profession. This provides various Uzbek professional groups with practical, day-to-day assistance in the long term, which can lead to improved professional competence amongst all those involved in criminal proceedings and, consequently, to a systemic improvement within the criminal justice system as a whole.

Hybrid seminar: “The role and protection of whistleblowers in the fight against corruption”

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Published: August 4, 2026
Welcome address to the participants by Mr Azamat Ergashev, Head of the Compliance Department at the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan (second from the right).
Welcome address to the participants by Mr Azamat Ergashev, Head of the Compliance Department at the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan (second from the right).
Uzbekistan

What role do whistleblowers play in preventing cases of corruption? Why is it important to protect whistleblowers? And what must the state do to ensure that such an early-warning system functions effectively?

These questions – which are also highly relevant in Uzbekistan – were addressed by participants at the hybrid seminar on the role and protection of whistleblowers in the fight against corruption on 30 July 2026. The IRZ thus continued its cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Agency, which is responsible for developing and coordinating programmes to combat and prevent corruption in Uzbekistan.

Whistleblowers play a vital role in the fight against corruption. Without comprehensive protection against dismissal, harassment or criminal prosecution, many cases of malpractice would remain hidden. Protective mechanisms are therefore essential in the fight against corruption.

The German experts, Prof. Dr Frank Zimmermann (University of Freiburg) and Prof. Dr Matthias Meißner (Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences), provided the Uzbek participants with knowledge on the practical and legally compliant implementation of internal reporting procedures, with a focus on the German Whistleblower Protection Act.

This professional exchange not only strengthened the expertise of the Anti-Corruption Agency but also provided impetus for the development of standardised requirements for reporting channels within the framework of compliance and anti-corruption prevention systems in state authorities and organisations in Uzbekistan. Discussions also covered liability for the deliberate disclosure of a whistleblower’s anonymity and confidentiality, as there are plans to incorporate this offence into Uzbek legislation.

There was a particularly lively discussion of Germany’s experiences with the relatively new Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG, in force since 2023): in practice, striking a balance between various interests, ensuring comprehensive confidentiality and providing clear information about the new law – which can help lower the barriers to reporting for whistleblowers – remain challenging.

Stronger together: EU Twinning project promotes legal reforms

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Published: November 6, 2025
Symposium as part of the EU Twinning project to systematise the regulatory framework
Symposium as part of the EU Twinning project to systematise the regulatory framework
Usbekistan

‘Together as partners, we are stronger,’ said German Ambassador Manfred Huterer during the symposium ‘Towards a coherent and simplified legal framework in Uzbekistan’ as part of the EU Twinning project to systematise the regulatory framework on 29 October 2025 in Tashkent. In doing so, he emphasised the central guiding principle of all EU Twinning projects: partnership-based cooperation based on mutual trust, exchange of expertise and shared responsibility.

The heads of the departments for legal systematisation and regulatory impact assessment at the Uzbek Ministry of Justice presented the first joint project results on improving the structuring and consolidation of legal norms in several areas of law, which are seen as the basis for further work. This was followed by a lively professional exchange on methods and practical approaches to prioritising legal norms and assessing potential legislative impact and costs. German experts from the Normenkontrollrat (National Regulatory Control Council) and Statistisches Bundesamt (Federal Statistical Office) presented the methods and examples commonly used in Germany, with reference to international best practices.

The EU Twinning project, led by IRZ, supports the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan in its reform efforts towards a more transparent and sustainable legal framework, in cooperation with the Latvian Ministry of Justice as a junior partner. Germany, as other European countries, face similar challenges as Uzbekistan in this regard, according to the head of the project Anja Schoeller-Schletter, who cited the complexity of the legal framework, increasing bureaucracy and associated costs, digitalisation, and the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence.

The partnership-based peer-to-peer approach of the EU Twinning project therefore not only enables the Uzbek side to learn from EU best practices, but also offers German and Latvian experts valuable food for thought, according to Christian Schaich, Administrative Director of the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) and expert in the project.

The insights gained during the symposium will be incorporated into the further design of project activities in order to provide the Ministry of Justice with the best possible support in achieving its ambitious goals by the end of the project in July 2026.