Uzbekistan has the smallest figure on number of prisoners in the world, which makes up 166 people per 100,000 habitants, he said. For example, the figure makes up 611 in Russia and 738 in the United States, he added.

For last ten years, number of prisoners decreased more than twice in Uzbekistan for last ten years, Islam Karimov said. He added that this is the result of measures on liberalization of criminal punishments.

Uzbek head said the crime classification was changed and about 75% of crimes from grave and highly grave crimes were transferred to category of less grave and those, which do not represent great threat to public security.

President Islam Karimov said that Uzbekistan significantly expanded “opportunities on economic crimes” as the country practices fines instead of arrests and imprisonment. He added that expropriation was excluded as punishment.

He added that article 11 of Criminal Code was included with regulation, which allows not to prison person, who compensates damages. He noted that Uzbekistan proceed from assumption that it is not necessary persons on economic cases as it is too expensive and does not allow to educate or reeducate convicts.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov said that abolishment of death penalty in Uzbekistan in January 2008 was important decision and introduced long-term imprisonment.

He said death penalty abolishment in Uzbekistan called huge resonance in the world and foreign experts noted that Uzbekistan has one of the most liberal criminal punishment system. Uzbek leader said that long-term imprisonment is given for five crimes in Germany and Poland, 6 in Belgium and Russia, 9 in Denmark, 13 in Sweden, 18 in France and 19 in the Netherlands. He said that long-term imprisonment is given just for two crimes – premeditated murder at aggravating circumstances and terrorism – in Uzbekistan.

He said that the long-term imprisonment is not used against women, people at the age below 18 and men at the age of over 60.

Uzbek leader called introduction of habeas corpus as principle step. Uzbekistan transferred right to issue arrest sanctions from prosecutors to courts in 2008.

He noted that since introduction of the system, the courts rejected to issue arrest warrants over 700 times.