Public Lecture by International Expert of the Capstone Project Uzbekistan Held at the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 18 May 2026, a public lecture by Professor Pauline Jacobs — international expert of the Capstone Project Uzbekistan and Associate Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at Tilburg University — was held at the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights.

The event was organized by the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights jointly with the Center for Development and Justice Initiatives (CDJI), with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Central Asia and Tilburg University within the framework of the implementation of the Capstone Project Uzbekistan, the official launch of which took place on 13 April 2026.

The participants were welcomed by the Director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, Academician A.Kh.Saidov, who emphasized the strategic importance of the project for preparing a new generation of researchers in the field of human rights. He noted that the event marked the transition of the project from the launch phase to practical research activities.

A welcoming speech was also delivered by Anel Tleukesh, Program Manager of the Center for Development and Justice Initiatives (CDJI).

Professor Pauline Jacobs’ public lecture focused on the topic “Human Rights Perspectives on Life Imprisonment.” During her presentation, the international expert provided a comparative analysis of European standards in this field, the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as Tilburg University’s approaches to academic research in the area of penitentiary law.

Special attention was devoted to the balance between the principles of justice, public security, and the protection of fundamental human rights, as well as to the possibilities for rehabilitation and social reintegration of convicted persons.

Following the lecture, a question-and-answer session was held, during which participants discussed current issues of penal policy, the humanization of the punishment system, and the alignment of national legislation with international human rights standards.

The central part of the event was the presentation of research initiatives by nine teams of project participants — students from the Tashkent State University of Law, the Academy of the Law Enforcement Agencies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The research topics covered some of the most relevant areas of contemporary human rights scholarship, including:

protection of children’s rights in the digital environment and countering cyber threats associated with the use of artificial intelligence;

social reintegration of former convicts in a competitive labor market;

legal consequences of the Aral Sea disaster in the context of international environmental responsibility;

improvement of reconciliation mechanisms and protection orders in cases of domestic violence;

issues of proportionality of punishment in corruption-related crimes;

protection of the rights of labor migrants from forced involvement in criminal activities abroad;

ensuring the rights of detainees and suspects at the pre-trial stage;

protection of the right to privacy in the collection of digital evidence.

Following each presentation, Professor Pauline Jacobs provided the participants with detailed expert comments, offered methodological recommendations for the further development of their research, and identified areas for deeper academic analysis taking into account international experience.

The Capstone Project Uzbekistan is implemented by the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights jointly with the Center for Development and Justice Initiatives (CDJI), with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Central Asia and Tilburg University.

The project is aimed at developing modern research and analytical skills among young researchers in the field of human rights, as well as strengthening academic cooperation between Uzbekistan and the international academic community.