OSCE Centre supports forensic training course for Kyrgyz police

OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 12 December 2008 - Identifying the profile of a person through examining his handwriting was the aim of training course that ended in Osh today.

The nine-day course, organized by the Interior Ministry and supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, brought together 15 forensic specialists.

"After this course, the Interior Ministry will have a team of certified specialists able to deal with complicated cases and at the same time ensure the rights of citizens and state institutions, especially in the light of the growing number of forged documents," said Vladimir Tkachenko, the OSCE Centre's Police Adviser.

Handwriting analysis is one of the most sophisticated types of forensic examination and is used during investigations of economic crimes, fraud, blackmailing, organized crime, and during election campaign monitoring. Certified experts can create a psychological profile of the writer, identify his or her age and even mental disturbances.

The course was delivered by Colonel Sergey Pazuhin from the Volgograd Police Academy in Russia.

Developing the skills of forensic experts through training and technical support is part of a project of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Interior Ministry aimed at building the capacity of the Kyrgyz Police and ensuring that human rights are observed during police investigations.