Uzbek Senate Votes To Abolish Death Penalty

(RFE/RL) June 29, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Uzbekistan's upper house of parliament today adopted amendments to the constitution that would abolish use of the death penalty, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported.

The amendments would replace capital punishment with life imprisonment.

Uzbekistan is the only Central Asian country to still execute criminals, although the country never provides figures for executions and relatives often learn of executions days or weeks after the event.

President Islam Karimov is credited for suggesting capital punishment be abolished in Uzbekistan.