[JURIST] Uzbekistan moved closer to abolishing the death penalty on Thursday as Uzbek President Islam Karimov [BBC profile] ordered the establishment of a commission charged with drafting anti-death penalty legislation as well as new criminal laws, both substantive and procedural, to implement the change. The order establishing the working group directed attention to amending the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan [excerpted text] to set definite sentencing guidelines for life- and long-term imprisonment. Current Uzbek law allows the death penalty [JURIST news archive] in premeditated murder and terrorism cases.

Last August, Karimov announced his intention to abolish the death penalty before 2008 [JURIST report]. The Council of Europe on Wednesday called on Russia, the US, and Japan to abolish the death penalty, and the Philippines abolished capital punishment [JURIST reports] last Saturday. UzReport.com has local coverage.