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Working methods, thematic priorities and vision for a meaningful anti-torture advocacy 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- So far, steps taken by the mandate to combat torture have focused almost entirely on States as potential perpetrators. Yet organized armed groups, private military and security contractors, mercenaries, foreign fighters and other non-State actors are increasingly engaged in conduct that adversely interferes with human rights, including the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. For the absolute and non-derogable prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to retain its practical relevance, however, it must also provide for practical protection against violations on the part of non-State actors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Upon interception or rescue, migrants and refugees tend to be criminalized and detained in substandard and overcrowded conditions amounting to torture or ill-treatment. Unsanitary conditions and inadequate medical care, including lack of access to reproductive care, affect women in particular. Many facilities fail to separate female and male prisoners, leading to heightened risks of sexual violence from other detainees or guards (A/HRC/20/24). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender migrants are also vulnerable to abuse on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Child and other forms of forced marriage increase during conflict and among displaced populations living in refugee or internally displaced persons camps. In 2015 the practice has been documented as being enforced by both State actors and non-State or rebel factions in Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and elsewhere, with victims being repeatedly raped, compelled to carry multiple pregnancies and subjected to other forms of physical and psychological violence over prolonged periods. While rape commonly occurs in the context of forced marriage, girls and women can also be forced into marriage as a consequence of rape or fear of sexual violence, as a form of "restitution" or "reparation". Like rape, forced marriage is used as a tactic of war and to fulfil strategic objectives such as domination, intimidation and degradation. It has been recognized as a crime against humanity by the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Impunity as a root cause of the prevalence of torture 2010, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The lack of funding for rehabilitation centres is by no means limited to poor States or States where torture may be rife, but also holds true for States which are generally considered to be relatively safe and affluent, for example EU member States. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur notes with concern the upcoming phasing-out of EU support for centres located within its area and the simultaneous failure of European Governments to step up their support for their own domestic institutions. Rehabilitation centres within the EU assume a crucial role in providing services to thousands of individuals who have had to flee their home countries and seek refuge after experiencing war, persecution and torture. While these survivors may have succeeded in escaping from imminent persecution and from their torturers, their experiences are still very much present and continue to haunt them. Often alone in a foreign country, confronted with xenophobic resentment, general suspicion that there is abuse of the asylum system, and concerns about the outcome of protracted and increasingly restrictive asylum procedures, survivors of torture find themselves in an environment which is far from conducive to a process of healing. The availability in those States of well-functioning rehabilitation centres where many refugees can open up and receive medical treatment for the first time is essential and their value cannot be overestimated. The Special Rapporteur calls for a change of the perception prevalent in many Western countries that torture is a distant issue. Many Europeans would be surprised to learn that their immigrant neighbour is in fact one of many survivors of torture who have found refuge in their country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- State responsibility also derives from existing customary rules as codified in the draft articles on responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts, which confirm that no State should aid or assist another State in the commission of an internationally wrongful act (arts. 16-18). In such cases responsibility is incurred if the former State provides aid or assistance to the latter (a) "with knowledge of the circumstances of the internationally wrongful act; and (b) the act would be internationally wrongful if committed by that State" (A/56/10 and Corr.1). Examples of assistance triggering State responsibility under article 16 include forms of assistance vital to the practice of extraordinary rendition and secret detention, including unchecked access to ports and military bases and "permissive" authorizations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for blanket overflight or landing rights, the provision of intelligence by one State to another with the foreseeable result being the torture or ill-treatment of an individual, and financial assistance to development projects in which torture was employed in the context of displacement or implementation. States should never recognize as lawful a situation created by a "serious breach" of its obligations under peremptory norms of international law and should cooperate to bring the breach to an end (arts. 40 and 41 of the draft articles). Therefore, if a State were torturing detainees, other States would have a duty to cooperate to bring the violation to an end and would be required not to give any aid or assistance to its continuation (A/67/396; A/HRC/13/42).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Impunity as a root cause of the prevalence of torture 2010, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Victims of torture have a right to complain to a professional authority which is independent from the authority accused of torture and which has the obligation to promptly and impartially examine all allegations or suspicions of torture. Victims and witnesses should be protected against all ill-treatment or intimidation as a consequence of their complaints or any evidence given. If torture is established by a competent authority, victims should enjoy the right to fair and adequate reparation, including the means for as full medical, psychological, social and other rehabilitation as possible. States, therefore, have a legal obligation to establish or at least support a sufficient number of rehabilitation centres for victims of torture and to ensure the safety of their staff and patients. The Special Rapporteur also urges States to ensure that survivors of torture who seek refuge in their countries have access to adequate medical and psychosocial treatment. Screening procedures allowing for the early identification of torture victims can be instrumental in that regard. Asylum authorities should be required to consider seriously the medical expertise of domestic rehabilitation centres and take account of their assessments when deciding upon asylum requests. Health professionals should be provided with training on how to apply the Istanbul Protocol. The Special Rapporteur also calls upon Governments, not least those responsible for the practice of torture, to contribute generously to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 69c
- Paragraph text
- [Recommendations regarding safeguard for effective medical evaluations of alleged torture and other ill-treatment in detention:] Ensure that effective access to forensic medical expertise is not subject to prior authorization by an investigating authority; this must include access to a medical professional of the detainee's choice for medical evaluation at any time during detention;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The absolute prohibition of non-refoulement applies at all times, even when States are operating or holding individuals extraterritorially, including border control operations on the high seas. The procurement of diplomatic assurances, which are inherently unreliable and ineffective, cannot be used by States to escape the absolute obligation to refrain from refoulement. The Special Rapporteur calls upon States to assess non-refoulement under the Convention against Torture independently of refugee or asylee status determinations, so as to ensure that the fundamental right to be free from torture or other ill-treatment is respected even in cases where non-refoulement under refugee law may be circumscribed. States are required to afford individuals fundamental procedural obligations in connection with their non refoulement obligations, including, but not limited to a fair opportunity to state claims for refugee or asylee status and the right to challenge detention and potential transfer on the basis of mistreatment in a receiving State (a) prior to transfer; (b) before an independent decision maker with the power to suspend the transfer; and (c) through an individualized procedure incorporating timely notification of potential transfer and the right to appear before this independent body in person.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 69g
- Paragraph text
- [Recommendations regarding safeguard for effective medical evaluations of alleged torture and other ill-treatment in detention:] Ensure that all medical examinations and interviews with detainees in detention facilities are performed using audio, video and photographic equipment;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Children deprived of their liberty from the perspective of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2015, para. 85p
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to the vulnerability of children deprived of their liberty and policy reform, the Special Rapporteur calls upon all States:] To take into consideration any trauma or exposure to torture or other forms of ill-treatment that child migrants have experienced prior to being detained;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Review of the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners 2013, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Medical examinations are a crucial tool in corroborating or refuting allegations of physical and psychological mistreatment. They are also integral to prevention efforts. While forensic science has made progress, the impact of medical examinations is undermined by a lack of rigorous implementation, inadequate funding, insufficient training and institutional dependencies. In many cases, health care is provided by physicians who have an almost exclusively therapeutic role or by nurses or paramedics with only basic medical training, as their focus is on curing sick detainees and examining new arrivals for contagious diseases or obvious wounds. They often lack the required expertise to properly document ill-treatment. Furthermore, reporting signs of torture raises challenges regarding perceived loyalty conflicts (to the prison administration and to the prisoner) and the responsibility to assure the safety of prisoners. In turn, persons deprived of liberty are invariably caught between a legal requirement to provide evidence to support allegations of torture or other ill-treatment and the lack of practical possibilities to produce such evidence. Records of medical examinations upon arrest or transfer often do not exist and recourse to forensic expertise is at the discretion of the supervising authority, who has ample opportunity to delay authorization until the signs of torture have disappeared.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Working methods, thematic priorities and vision for a meaningful anti-torture advocacy 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Conflicts, violence, persecution, poverty and food insecurity are driving unprecedented waves of people to cross international borders in a desperate search for safety. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2015 alone, 65.3 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide, the largest number since the Second World War.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- While much progress has undoubtedly been made in the past few years, in scientific advances, in medical standards and in legal norm-setting, the impact of forensic medical science is undermined by a lack of institutional independence, rigorous implementation and sufficient training. In many cases, health professionals in detention facilities have an almost exclusively therapeutic role or other staff have only basic training as paramedics; their focus is on curing sick detainees and examining new arrivals for contagious diseases or obvious wounds. Since traumata caused by torture are not necessarily visible, their examinations likely miss a considerable number of torture cases. The Special Rapporteur observes that there is a lack of proper in-take and exit examinations, which would detect suspected cases of torture.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The Gibson Inquiry was established to examine whether and to what extent State security and intelligence agencies were involved or otherwise complicit in the improper treatment or rendition of detainees held by other States in counter-terrorism operations in the aftermath of the attacks of 11 September 2001. Some non-governmental organizations have criticized the inquiry for its lack of transparency and lack of opportunities for the participation of victims and other third parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
14 shown of 14 entities