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Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 62e
- Paragraph text
- [In the present report, the Special Rapporteur examined whether and in which circumstances the extra-custodial use of force by State agents amounts to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Special Rapporteur’s substantive conclusions can be summarized as follows:] States must regulate the extra-custodial use of force and must ensure that all of their agents are trained, equipped and instructed so as to prevent any act of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment within their jurisdiction. This includes not only the development of sufficiently clear guidance on the use of force and weapons, but also the systematic legal review of weapons, including other means of deploying force and “less lethal” weapons;
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- In the development, procurement or trading of weapons, including other means of deploying force and “less lethal” weapons, States should conduct systematic legal reviews with a view to determining whether the use of such weapons, in some or all circumstances, would violate the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, or any other obligation under international law, or would significantly increase the risk of such violations occurring.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- In situations of armed conflict, the use of torture or any other form of coercion against prisoners of war to extract any type of information from them is strictly prohibited. Those who refuse to provide information cannot "be threatened, insulted or exposed to unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind" (Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, art. 17). Physical or moral coercion against protected persons for any purpose, in particular to extract information from them or from third parties, is also forbidden (Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, art. 31). In situations in which persons face criminal prosecutions, the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols I and II thereto also provide for the right not to be compelled to testify against themselves or to confess guilt, both during international and non international armed conflicts (Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, art. 99; Protocol I, art. 75; and Protocol II, art. 6). This must also be understood as the absence of any moral or physical coercion in order to induce them to confess. In situations other than the aforementioned, the prohibition of coercion during questioning should apply as a matter of policy, irrespective of the international or non-international character of the conflict and of the status of the person questioned.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Under the Convention the prohibition and prevention of torture and other ill-treatment will apply at all times, including in situations of armed conflict and concurrently with applicable norms of international humanitarian law. This is evidenced by textual aspects of the Convention that explicitly address armed conflict and military activities, according to which no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture, as well as aspects of its negotiating history (E/CN.4/1984/72). International human rights law remains applicable during armed conflict and the protection offered under human rights law does not cease during hostilities (without prejudice to the application of the lex specialis rule under appropriate circumstances). In addition, the humane treatment requirements under the Convention and international humanitarian law are substantially equivalent, both prohibiting torture and other ill-treatment in international and non-international armed conflicts, with common article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 constituting a minimum baseline of protections applicable at all times, including during non-international armed conflicts. The Special Rapporteur contends that the universal legal regime for the prohibition and prevention of torture is indeed strengthened by the intersection of multiple subsystems and specialized regimes outlawing torture and other ill-treatment. Torture constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions, a violation of common article 3 and a violation of customary international humanitarian law. Under international criminal law, torture can also constitute a crime against humanity or an act of genocide.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Working methods, thematic priorities and vision for a meaningful anti-torture advocacy 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- As far as the due diligence of territorial States is concerned, the Special Rapporteur is of the view that the exercise of control by an organized armed group as de facto authority over the population of a State does not deprive the people living in this territory of their rights. States therefore have a due diligence obligation to protect individuals under their jurisdiction from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on the part of non-State actors. Thus, even where armed groups have brought part of the national territory under their control, Governments are not absolved from doing everything feasible in the circumstances to protect their citizens from torture and ill-treatment.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Another issue arising with regard to certain “less lethal” weapons is their indiscriminate effects, which make it difficult to restrict the use of force and the resulting harm as required by the principles of necessity and proportionality, particularly in the presence of innocent bystanders (for example, in crowd control or hostage-taking). While the indiscriminate nature of a weapon alone does not necessarily make it cruel, inhuman or degrading, it may do so in conjunction with the gravity of its effects (for example, certain kinetic impact projectiles) or with the circumstances in which it is being used (for example, tear gas in closed confinements).
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The duty to conduct legal reviews applies to weapons in the broadest sense, as well as the manner in which they are intended or reasonably expected to be used. A meaningful weapons review involves experts from various disciplines, given that it requires an examination of all relevant information regarding the weapon, such as its technical description, its performance and reliability, its environmental and medical impact and, most importantly for the present context, the nature and severity of the physical, mental and emotional injury, pain or suffering likely to be inflicted.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur notes that Governments often argue that a high standard of forensic evidence is out of the reach of States with limited resources. The Special Rapporteur agrees that good forensics are resource-intensive, but that does not justify not investing at all resource-poor States or areas. As already noted, many symptoms attributable to torture or other ill-treatment are not physical. In those cases, psychological assessment displaces medical evaluation as the main source of information. Psychological detection requires adequate training and time but much less investment in infrastructure than medical forensics. In countries where there is widespread physical torture, diagnosis can rely on a careful clinical examination with special emphasis on dermatology and rheumatology, as well as traumatology, aspects. This is conducted by interviewing, observing and touching a victim without further technical assistance. The Special Rapporteur finds that if there is a need for complementary tests, photographic documentation of the injuries at different stages, as well as X-ray analysis of wounded areas, will cover documentation of the majority of cases. Blood analysis, especially for the detection of creatine phosphokinase (CPK), an enzyme expressed by various tissues and cell types that signals the destruction of muscle cells, is a good indicator of physical torture in the period ranging from 24 to 120 hours immediately after it takes place. The Special Rapporteur notes that those scientific tests are available in almost all countries and are not expensive.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 68a
- Paragraph text
- [Recommendations regarding the effective investigation of allegations of torture or other ill-treatment:] Ensure that all suspicions and allegations of torture and other ill-treatment are investigated and documented in a prompt (within 24 hours), independent and transparent manner by qualified governmental and non governmental experts; that they are conducted with victim participation at all phases of the investigation, including access to such investigations;
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 66d
- Paragraph text
- [States should ensure that all law enforcement officials are trained, equipped and instructed so as to prevent any extra-custodial use of force amounting to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, States should:] Equip law enforcement officials with various types of weapons, ammunition and other means, including “less lethal” incapacitating weapons, with a view to allowing for the differentiated use of force aimed at avoiding or, in any event, minimizing harm and injury.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Overview of main observations of five years fact-finding and research 2010, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- One of the major challenges when it comes to proving cases of torture and ill-treatment is the gathering of evidence. Since abuses are mainly inflicted behind closed doors, victims most often have an uphill struggle to make their cases heard and get their complaints properly considered. This is particularly the case for persons who are accused of having committed a crime and carry the stigma of not being credible and trying to avoid justice by complaining about their treatment. Forensic medical science is a crucial tool in addressing this problem, since it can establish the degree of correlation of the medical findings with the allegations brought forward and therefore provide evidence on which prosecutions can be based. Modern medical examinations can help to detect injuries which are otherwise not visible, such as soft tissue or nerve trauma - essential in light of the ever increasing sophistication of torture methods.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Where possible, national commissions of inquiry ought to be pursued before the establishment of an international commission of inquiry. Proximity to the affected population often adds to the legitimacy and potential impact of a commission of inquiry. States should, however, seek international assistance where they lack necessary resources and/or expertise. The international community has a duty to establish a commission of inquiry, using the various mechanisms available, when the State fails to break the cycle of impunity or is unwilling or unable to explore the truth and provide justice or where human rights violations threaten international peace and security. In addition, international commissions of inquiry can play a valuable role in promoting subsequent national investigations.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, in the case of Anzhelo Georgiev and Others v. Bulgaria, involving the use of electrical discharge weapons in a police raid, the Court found that the use of such weapons had not been shown to be necessary and proportionate in the circumstances and therefore violated article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court indicated that “Article 3 does not prohibit the use of force in certain well-defined circumstances. However, such force may be used only if indispensable and must not be excessive”, labelling this a “strict proportionality” test.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Access to counsel must be provided immediately after the moment of deprivation of liberty and unequivocally before any questioning by authorities. Counsel must be present for all interviews, and for their entirety (see A/68/295). This right applies to, among others, detention on criminal charges, prisoners of war, criminal detention relating to armed conflict, detention of individuals considered to be civilian internees under international humanitarian law and administrative detention outside of armed conflict (see WGAD/CRP.1/2015).
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- The protocol must apply to interviews conducted by law enforcement and other investigative bodies such as intelligence and military services and administrative bodies, during counter-terrorism operations and in situations of armed conflict, including extraterritorially. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur is concerned that in some jurisdictions intelligence services have been empowered to apprehend, detain and question persons in connection with national security offences, as a way to circumvent legal and procedural safeguards applicable to traditional law enforcement agencies - a practice that has at times lamentably enabled the perpetration of egregious acts of torture and ill-treatment. The protocol should emphasize that there are no legitimate reasons for granting intelligence agencies such powers duplicating those held by traditional law enforcement bodies. Intelligence agencies mandated by law to exercise such powers must comply fully with international human rights standards, including those pertaining to the rights to liberty, fair trial, the use of torture-tainted information and the absolute prohibition of torture and ill-treatment (see A/HRC/10/3; A/HRC/14/46; and European Court of Human Rights, Öcalan v. Turkey). Intelligence services entrusted with police powers must comply with rules applicable to the conduct of interviews in the criminal justice system. The above rationale also applies where military services or other investigative bodies are entrusted with police powers in the national law enforcement context.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is concerned by the deprivation of liberty of persons for the sole purpose of questioning, a practice that entails severe risks of torture and ill-treatment. Law enforcement, military and intelligence agencies cannot be permitted to detain persons without probable cause and for the sole purpose of gathering information or intelligence, including in armed conflict (see A/HRC/14/46 and A/HRC/10/3). The apprehension and detention of individuals in the absence of reasonable suspicion that they have committed or are about to commit a criminal offence, or of other internationally accepted lawful grounds for detention, are prohibited. Administrative detention outside armed conflict is prohibited save the "most exceptional circumstances"; when justified by a "present, direct and imperative threat" that cannot be addressed by alternative measures, it must be accompanied by adequate safeguards, last no longer than "absolutely necessary" and be subject to prompt and regular review. When authorized, administrative detention must be ordered, implemented and supervised by judicial authorities. Standards and procedural safeguards applicable to interviews of suspects in the criminal justice systems must equally and unambiguously apply, as a matter of law and policy, to the questioning of persons held in administrative or preventive detention outside of armed conflict (see Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 35 (2014) on liberty and security of person (article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights); and A/56/156).
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- States should establish effective systems for monitoring and reporting on the use of force, and relevant information should be made accessible to the public, including statistics on when, against whom and through which means force is used and on the resulting harm.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- In particular, States should thoroughly train their police forces to avoid situations in which the use of force will become inevitable and equip them with various methods and types of weapons and ammunition allowing for a differentiated use of force, including “less lethal” incapacitating weapons and self-defensive equipment such as shields, helmets, bulletproof vests and bulletproof means of transportation. Moreover, law enforcement officials must constantly re-evaluate the situation with a view to avoiding unnecessary or excessive use of force. Whenever the use of force becomes unavoidable, law enforcement officials must ensure that assistance and medical aid is provided to any injured or affected persons at the earliest possible moment.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, certain “less lethal” weapons may have foreseeable long-term or other effects, which must be considered when assessing the proportionality of their use, such as the high risk of serious head injury arising when persons collapse uncontrollably after being targeted with electrical discharge weapons or the humiliating effect of the use of dyes or malodorants.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 69f
- Paragraph text
- [Recommendations regarding safeguard for effective medical evaluations of alleged torture and other ill-treatment in detention:] Ensure that medical experts in detention centres have unrestricted access to relevant evidence, including material evidence, witnesses and relevant legal documents, including interrogation logs and medical records;
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- States' due diligence obligations to ensure redress remain intact when non-State actors perpetrate conflict-related sexual violence. Gender-sensitive practices must be employed when investigating violations during and after the armed conflict. Silence or lack of resistance cannot be used to imply consent, which furthermore cannot be inferred from the words or conduct of a victim who was subjected to force, threats, or a coercive environment (A/HRC/7/3). Comprehensive assistance and reparations programmes in these contexts often require years to be fully implemented.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur finds that the prevention and prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment under the Convention are indeed complementary to the prevention and prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment under international humanitarian law. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment are specifically prohibited under numerous provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols thereto, including regarding prisoners of war, the wounded and sick, protected civilians and persons detained in non-international armed conflicts. Perpetration of such acts will constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law and a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and will engender a right to an effective remedy.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 65c
- Paragraph text
- [In particular, as far as the extra-custodial use of force is concerned, States should ensure that their laws and regulations, including rules of engagement and similar instruments guiding and constraining the use of force in operational practice:] Require that any other extra-custodial use of force by State agents: (i) pursue a lawful purpose; (ii) be strictly necessary for the achievement of that purpose; (iii) cause no harm that would be disproportionate to the benefit of achieving that purpose and (iv) be planned, prepared and conducted so as to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the causation of harm.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- In the view of the Special Rapporteur, such weapons include certain types of firearms and ammunition, such as fully automatic weapons and high-calibre and high-energy expanding bullets, all of which carry a significant risk of causing unnecessary or excessive injury. They also include a range of “less lethal” weapons, such as certain types of kinetic impact projectiles, electrical discharge weapons, chemical irritants, water cannons and disorientation devices.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 65a
- Paragraph text
- [In particular, as far as the extra-custodial use of force is concerned, States should ensure that their laws and regulations, including rules of engagement and similar instruments guiding and constraining the use of force in operational practice:] Absolutely prohibit and prevent any extra-custodial use of force by State agents intentionally and purposefully inflicting pain or suffering on powerless persons, irrespective of considerations of lawful purpose, necessity or proportionality;
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 65b
- Paragraph text
- [In particular, as far as the extra-custodial use of force is concerned, States should ensure that their laws and regulations, including rules of engagement and similar instruments guiding and constraining the use of force in operational practice:] Absolutely prohibit and prevent the development, production, trade and use of weapons and other means of deploying force that are inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading;
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Even if the use of force is necessary and proportionate in the immediate circumstances of a case, it may nonetheless be unlawful if it results from a failure to plan, organize and control operations so as to minimize harm, respect and preserve human life and avoid any excessive use of force.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- State and non-State actors alike commonly commit acts of sexual violence during international and non-international armed conflicts (S/2015/203). Sexual violence during conflict is often a product of gender stereotypes that are prevalent in societies during peacetime. Rape and other forms of sexual violence constitute violations of international humanitarian law and unequivocally amount to torture under international criminal law jurisprudence. Under international humanitarian law, torture constitutes a breach of the laws and customs of war and may be committed by both States and non-State armed groups. More recent developments in international criminal law have determined that torture can occur when the State had no role in its perpetration and where the State did not fail to exercise due diligence obligations, with the "characteristic trait of the offence [being] found in the nature of the act committed rather than in the status of the person who committed it". The Special Rapporteur welcomes these developments and finds that the international humanitarian and criminal law frameworks complement the application of international human rights law, particularly with regard to conflict situations, wherein the control typically exercised by States in peacetime is either lacking or has been replaced by other elements of control, such as insurgent groups or militias.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Many safeguards against coercive and abusive questioning techniques can be implemented with limited financial expenditure, in a cost-effective and sustainable manner. Where necessary, however, the protocol may identify additional approaches whereby States with limited material resources can guarantee effective and meaningful implementation and ensure adequate protection against abuses.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2017, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- While the present report is focused on the extra-custodial use of force by State agents, its conclusions generally will also be relevant, mutatis mutandis, for non-physical forms of coercion and for ill-treatment committed by non-State actors. Owing to constraints of time and space, the Special Rapporteur intends to more systematically consider those issues in subsequent thematic reports. Moreover, in the present report the extra-custodial use of force under the law enforcement paradigm both in peacetime and in armed conflict is covered, but the use of force as a means of warfare under the hostilities paradigm is not examined. The terms “State agent” and “law enforcement official” will be used interchangeably to denote any person exercising, de jure or de facto, public authority on behalf of the State, whether of military or civilian status and whether appointed, elected, employed or contracted, including private security personnel. Finally, the implications of the extra-custodial use of force are examined in the present report under human rights law only, and not under potentially applicable international humanitarian law.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
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