VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNT #0092/01 0200952
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200951Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1764
INFO RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT

UNCLAS TASHKENT 000092 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/AAE (CARROLL AND BUHLER), EUR/ACE (LONGI), SCA/CEN 
(CHICOLAIDIS AND RORAFF) 
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR ICITAP MARK MOGLE 
ASTANA FOR INL 
BISHKEK FOR INL AND SLEA 
DUSHANBE FOR INL AND SLEA 
ASHGABAT FOR INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID SNAR ASEC KCRM UZ
SUBJECT: FORENSIC SCIENCE IN UZBEKISTAN: THE SUBTLE APPROACH TO 
IMPROVING HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
REF: 10 TASHKENT 50 
 
¶1.    (U)  SUMMARY:  The Forensic Laboratory Improvement Project 
sponsored by the State Department Bureau of International Narcotics 
and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), with assistance from the 
Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training 
and Assistance Program (ICITAP), continues to make great strides in 
Uzbekistan.  By strengthening investigative capacity and forensic 
procedures, this project has direct applications to the rule of law 
in Uzbekistan-and it is one area where the GOU and the USG can 
agree to address the "human dimension" together.  On a recent tour 
of the Main Forensic Bureau (MFB), poloff and visiting US forensic 
experts were impressed by three things: the positive changes 
wrought by the Forensic Improvement Project, the obvious need for 
continued improvements, and the great professional commitment and 
enthusiasm of the Bureau's staff.  END SUMMARY. 
 
FORENSIC LABORATORY IMPROVEMENT AND THE RULE OF LAW 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
------------------ 
 
 
 
¶2.    (SBU)  Law enforcement agencies in Uzbekistan often treat 
high conviction rates as proof that they are solving criminal cases 
and preserving public security.  However, many law enforcement 
officers and forensic scientists who investigate crimes have such 
limited resources that they are not even able to present basic 
physical evidence that will hold up in court.  Unfortunately, the 
traditional "solution" to that problem is to obtain signed 
confessions from suspects-by any means necessary.  By introducing 
proven investigative techniques and solid physical evidence into 
Uzbekistan's criminal justice system, forensic science can bring 
the guilty to justice while exonerating the innocent.  The 
INL/ICITAP Forensic Improvement Project has gradually been 
improving the investigative capacity of the MFB of Uzbekistan 
through training, equipment donations, and professional exchanges. 
In addition to its criminal investigations, the MFB laboratory also 
supports medical facilities in emergency situations-for example, 
identifying ingested poisons. 
 
CHANGE HAS BEEN GOOD... 
 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.    (U)  The Main Forensic Bureau has already made great 
strides with assistance from INL/ICITAP (see reftel).  When poloff 
and visiting forensic experts visited the MFB facility in December, 
the staff was thrilled to show off new equipment, including 
microscopes and spectrophotometers.  These highly educated and 
professional scientists were almost like children with a cherished 
toy as they demonstrated their new capabilities-showing how they 
could analyze fibers from the scene of a crime with their new 
microscope, and then use their new computers and digital cameras to 
capture microscopic images that can be used in court or saved for 
training purposes.  The MFB's pre-donation microscopes looked quite 
old and low tech; in fact, they compared unfavorably with the 
microscopes from poloff's high school biology classes.  The new 
microscopes provide better images and allow investigators to view 
multiple samples side by side.  Before receiving the new equipment, 
investigators used to examine samples separately, and then try to 
make comparisons based on their memories.  To make matters worse, 
they would then verbally describe their findings in court-a process 
that was not only vulnerable to mistakes, but also quite 
unconvincing from a legal point of view.  The new equipment makes a 
world of difference to the quality of their work, and is quicker 
and more efficient as well. 
¶4.    (U)  The expert visitors sponsored by INL/ICITAP and the 
visits of Uzbek scientists to the US have also yielded improvements 
in terms of organization and procedure of the MFB.  Prior to the 
initial visits of US experts, MFB staff examined evidence, wrote 
their reports, and even ate their lunch in the same chaotic room-a 
nightmare in terms of evidentiary procedure.  Now, laboratories and 
administrative areas are separate, and a break room is planned so 
that staff can relax and eat away from their labs or desks.  Two 
Bureau employees who visited the United States with INL sponsorship 
gave presentations to share their experiences with their 
colleagues.  Their visits to forensic labs in the U.S. had 
obviously made a deep impression.  One presenter was particularly 
awed by the safety precautions taken in American labs-from 
 
 
disposable gloves to special stations for flushing chemicals out of 
eyes. 
¶5.    (U)  Aside from the equipment donations and technical 
advice from US experts, INL has sponsored conferences designed to 
teach investigative techniques to large groups of forensic 
scientists and law enforcement officers.  In conjunction with the 
December visit of two US experts, INL organized conferences in 
Tashkent and Bukhara.  Both conferences were well-attended by 
representatives from a broad spectrum of GOU agencies, including 
the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of 
International Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense, as well as 
university professors and representatives of regional forensic 
bureaus. 
 
...BUT THERE IS MUCH TO BE DONE 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6.    (U)  While the staff of the Main Forensic Bureau is 
justifiably proud of their progress, the MFB still needs to make 
many changes in order to achieve its goal of accreditation by the 
International Organization for Standardization.  More laboratory 
protocols need to be updated, more equipment needs to be replaced, 
and ideally the entire operation needs to be moved to a new campus 
with more space and modern facilities.  (NOTE:  The location for a 
new campus has already been identified, and some renovations have 
begun on the existing structures.  However, there is no budget to 
complete the project at this time.) 
¶7.    (U)  The Main Forensic Bureau is currently housed on a 
Soviet-era campus that can only be described as dank.  Floors are 
uneven, stairs are of worn and slippery cement, and unpleasant 
odors cast a pall over the premises.  More importantly, some of the 
equipment and procedures that MFB staff use to perform important 
tests have been outdated for decades.  Nevertheless, Bureau 
employees exhibited a high degree of professionalism and enthusiasm 
for their work.  They realize that international accreditation will 
require many more changes, but they are firmly fixed on that goal. 
 
RULE OF LAW AND THE "HUMAN DIMENSION" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- 
 
¶8.    (SBU)  COMMENT:  Approaching "human dimension" issues in 
Uzbekistan can be difficult.  The GOU has cautiously responded to 
the USG's efforts to improve the bilateral relationship, but it 
tends to react defensively to any perceived criticism.  If the GOU 
feels that it is being pressured into any course of action, its 
response is to push back.  This has caused considerable difficulty 
as we attempt to engage the GOU on a broad range of important 
issues, including human rights and rule of law.  However, the GOU 
has been very enthusiastic about the Forensic Laboratory 
Improvement Project, and has sent representatives of many 
government agencies to participate in INL/ICITAP conferences. 
Working from this common ground, we hope to continue expanding rule 
of law cooperation with the GOU.  END COMMENT. 
NORLAND