title: Implementing Istanbul Protocol standards for forensic evidence of torture in Kyrgyzstan.
abstract: The Kyrgyz government declared a policy of "zero tolerance" for torture and began reforms to stop such practice, a regular occurrence in the country's daily life. This study presents the results of 10 forensic evaluations of individuals alleging torture; they represent 35% of all criminal investigations into torture for the January 2011-July 2012 period. All individuals evaluated were male with an average age of 34 years. Police officers were implicated as perpetrators in all cases. All individuals reported being subjected to threats and blunt force trauma from punches, kicks, and blows with objects such as police batons. The most common conditions documented during the evaluations were traumatic brain injury and chronic seizures. Psychological sequelae included post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, which was diagnosed in seven individuals. In all cases, the physical and psychological evidence was highly consistent with individual allegations of abuse. These forensic evaluations, which represent the first ever to be conducted in Kyrgyzstan in accordance with Istanbul Protocol standards, provide critical insight into torture practices in the country. The evaluations indicate a pattern of brutal torture practices and inadequate governmental and nongovernmental forensic evaluations.
authors.affiliation: Physicians for Human Rights, United States; University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, United States.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Physicians for Human Rights, United States; Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, United States.
authors.forename: Sondra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.affiliation: Physicians for Human Rights, United States.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xenakis
authors.affiliation: Physicians for Human Rights, United States; University of Minnesota School of Medicine, United States; Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley, United States. Electronic address: viacopino@phrusa.org.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Iacopino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007707:Kyrgyzstan; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination; D016495:Police; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D014104:Torture / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Forensic evaluations; Istanbul Protocol; Major depression; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Torture; Traumatic brain injury