UN torture prevention body in second visit to Brazil
GENEVA (15 October 2015) – The United Nations
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) will visit Brazil from 19 to 30
October 2015 to assess the progress made in torture prevention and the extent
to which its recommendations have been followed up on since its last visit to
the country in 2011.
“Following our first visit to Brazil four years ago, the
country has taken a number of steps related to torture prevention. During this
second visit, we will assess these recent developments and advise the Brazilian
authorities on measures that may be strengthened or taken to protect people,
who have been deprived of their liberty, against torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” said Víctor Madrigal-Borloz, who
is heading the SPT delegation to Brazil.
The delegation will meet Federal and State authorities,
members of civil society as well as representatives of the newly established
body in charge of monitoring places of detention, known as the National
Preventive Mechanism. The SPT members will also make unannounced visits to
places of detention in different states as part of their assessment.
“The SPT will formulate its advice on the basis of its
previous observations and recommendations, the continued dialogue with the
Brazilian authorities and the visit to places of detention during its mission,”
Madrigal-Borloz added.
At the end of the visit, the delegation will present its
oral preliminary observations to the Brazilian authorities. The SPT’s role is
to prevent and eliminate torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and
punishment of detainees. It has a mandate to visit all States that are parties
to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and to make
recommendations to State authorities to establish effective safeguards against
risk of torture and ill-treatment in places of deprivation of liberty.
For the SPT, the key to preventing torture and
ill-treatment lies in building constructive relations with the State concerned,
and its guiding principles are cooperation and confidentiality.
The SPT delegation is composed of the following members:
Mr. Víctor Madrigal-Borloz, Ms. Marija Definis-Gojanovic, Mr. Enrique Andrés
Font, Ms. Nora Sveaass, and Mr. Victor Zaharia.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Mr. Joao Nataf (in
Brazil): +41 79 752 0484 or jnataf@ohchr.org
For other media inquiries, please contact Ms. Cécile
Pouilly (in Geneva): +41 22 917 93 10 or cpouilly@ohchr.org
Background:
The Optional Protocol on the Prevention of Torture has to
date been ratified by 80 countries. Under its mandate, the SPT can conduct
unannounced visits to places of deprivation of liberty.
The SPT communicates its recommendations and observations
to the State by means of a confidential report, and if necessary to National
Preventive Mechanisms. However, State parties are encouraged to request that
the SPT makes these reports public.
Find out more about the Optional Protocol:
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