Article 5 of the UDHR states that everyone has the right to freedom from torture and degrading treatment, but that just isn't the case in Uzbekistan these days, especially when it comes to Uzbekistan's prisons. Prisoners often have had to endure electric shocks, beatings with rubber batons, and sexual violence. Now, I don't know about you but I don't think anyone should have to be tortured, even if they are criminals who deserve a life in prison. I spoke to one man who was accused of stealing at a young age and sentenced to 5 years in prison. His experiences were nothing less than disturbing and you could still see the effects of the prison beatings in his appearance. "I was forced to do hard labor," he said, "and it wasn't uncommon for me to have multiple severe burns after a days work. The worst part was that I had to write letters to my family saying I was fine and that everyone was treating me well. I think that hurt more than all the physical pain."
The causes of these Human Rights violations are most closely related to power and political systems. There is an absence of laws protecting the inmates and as prisoners who are supposed to be submissive to the officials, they are powerless to change their situation.
The best solution in this case would be to integrate officials for the Human Rights Watch committee into the prisons and to gain support from the Western nations that are currently ignoring the issue altogether.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/16/human-rights-report-torture-abuse-uzbekistan/?page=all
http://www.uznews.net/news_single.php?lng=en&cid=3&nid=8377
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