A/HRC/10/83 Page 7 29. The recent release of political prisoners and the acceptance of visits of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) teams to Uzbek detention centres, the steady growth of NGOs and media, the abolition of the death penalty and the introduction of the habeas corpus procedure and the decision of the Government to establish the institute of the Children’s Ombudsman were also welcomed. 30. Uzbekistan was commended for its efforts to guarantee the rule of law and provide its economic and social programmes with a human dimension. It was also commended for the dedication of a significant portion of its GDP to education leading to tremendous progress in the area of education and a 99 per cent literacy rate in 2003, which is an important step towards the effective realization of economic, cultural and social rights for its citizens. 31. The Russian Federation stated that the impact of important adopted State decisions (a more liberal and humane legal and court system, and a broad educative work for disseminating human rights) produced tangible results. It enquired whether Uzbekistan has a special court for juveniles and whether Uzbekistan has identified any tangible tasks and aims in human rights. 32. France recommended that Uzbekistan (a) adopt a national legislation complying with international human rights standards to ensure freedom of assembly, as enshrined in the Constitution, particularly by guaranteeing human rights NGOs the right to carry out their activities freely; (b) broaden the area of freedom of the media, particularly by eliminating restrictions on foreign and national media and adopting more flexible rules for the accreditation of foreign journalists; and (c) take all necessary measures to prevent acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment particularly in places of detention, ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and establish a national independent mechanism to monitor all places of detention. France noted that religious communities must be registered with the Government to be able to fully carry out their activities. France recommended that Uzbekistan (d) implement effectively its commitments relating to freedom of religion as contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Uzbekistan is a party. 33. Chile recommended that Uzbekistan (a) establish conditions that would allow for an international and independent investigation to establish the facts concerning Andijan; and (b) end the practice of forced return of persons who sought asylum in bordering States after the events in Andijan. Those that have been forcefully returned and are still detained in undisclosed places should be immediately released. Information should be provided on the whereabouts of the 13 disappeared persons that were returned from Kyrgyzstan and whose situation was in due time reported to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. It further recommended that Uzbekistan, owing to the multiple allegations of massive use of torture and ill treatment of detainees, (c) adopt a definition of torture in accordance with article 1 of the Convention; (d) ensure that the judiciary has the necessary independence from the executive branch, limiting the attributions of the latter to the appointment of judges, in particular to the Supreme Court; (e) ensure the exercise of freedom of expression, assembly, association and the right to participate in public and political life, lifting all restrictions on local and foreign press to investigate and freely inform about the national reality, and particularly about the events in Andijan. 34. The Netherlands recommended that (a) everyone, including human rights defenders, can peacefully exercise their right to freedom of expression in conformity with obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Netherlands recommended that