On 12 June 2024, a delegation from Kazakhstan’s Kostanay Training Academy visited Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to participate in a regional event focused on developing probation and penitentiary systems.
Mr Akynkali Darmenov, Head of the Kostanay Training Academy and Mr Malik Mukanov, Head of the Department of Penal Law met with Mr Adilet Dzhanuzakov, Chairperson of the Security and Convoy Service under the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic and Mr Tolobek Abdyrakhmanov, Rector of the Kyrgyz National University.
During the visit, Memoranda of Understanding were signed between the Kostanay Training Academy, the Academy of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, and the Kyrgyz National University. The MoUs aim to strengthen cooperation through capacity-building, enhancing the qualification and retraining of the academic staff, and implementing joint educational initiatives on good prison management and preventing radicalization to violence in prisons.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) supports this collaborative approach in establishing a Regional Hub for training personnel of probation and penitentiary institutions. The creation of a Centre of Regional Excellence in Kostanay will help to promote international UN standards in dealing with prisoners, including the Nelson Mandela Rules, the Bangkok Rules, and the Tokyo Rules as well as enhance institutional capacities of relevant state institutions to effectively prevent violent extremism in prisons. Additionally, by strengthening regional dialogue through the professional training of prison and probation officers from Central Asia countries, the Regional Hub will contribute to reducing existing security threats.
Kostanay Academy is regionally recognized for its expertise in providing specialized training on the management of high-risk prisoners, including violent extremists and terrorist prisoners. The training programs aim to equip prison staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle complex and high-risk situations effectively, ensuring safety and security, while upholding human rights standards.
* RFTF Detention Program Phase II is implemented by UNODC and funded by the Bureau of Counterterrorism of the U.S. Department of State. It aims to enhance the capacity of relevant government agencies to mitigate threats posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) and terrorist prisoners.
