Fixed dates for Italy, Turkey and Benin torture prevention

UN experts fix dates for Italy, Turkey and Benin torture prevention visits

GENEVA (19 June 2015) – The UN’s torture prevention body has set dates to visit Italy,Turkey andBenin in the second half of 2015 to discuss protection against ill-treatment of detainees and the overall situation of people deprived of their liberty in these countries.

The Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) will be in Italy from 16 to 22 September, inTurkey from 6 to 9 October and in Benin from 7 to 11 December. The SPT had already announced that it would be visiting the Netherlands from 28 to 31 July and Brazil from 19 to 30 October. So far this year, members have visited Azerbaijan, Nauru, Guatemala and the Philippines.

The SPT’s role is to prevent and eliminate torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment of detainees. It works with national governments that have ratified the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT). During a country mission, the SPT delegation visits places of deprivation of liberty, including prisons, police stations, migrant detention centres and psychiatric hospitals and also engages with National Preventive Mechanisms to assist them with their mandate. It also liaises closely with national independent monitoring bodies known as National Preventive Mechanisms.

ENDS

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