FIACAT

UK, Brazil, the Philippines and the Netherlands reviewed, May 2012

NJ et GC — 2012-05-21T13:49:00Z

13th session of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review to be held from 21st May to 4th June 2012

Fourteen States will have their human rights records examined during the thirteenth session of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review Working Group that will be held in Geneva from 21st May to 4th June 2012. These countries are Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Philippines, Algeria, Poland, Netherlands, South Africa.

An ACAT exist in United Kingdom, Brazil, the Philippines and in Netherlands. FIACAT is following those reviews with a particular interest.

Agenda of the 13th session

FIACAT in the UPR process

Live webcat (Channel 11 or 12)

United Kingdom

FIACAT and ACAT United Kingdom joint submission for UK's UPR

Summary of stakeholders' information by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Compilation of UN information

United Kingdom's national report

Report of the working group

Brazil

FIACAT and ACAT Brazil joint submission for Brazil's UPR

Summary of stakeholders' information by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Compilation of UN information

Brazil's national report

Report of the working group

the Philippines

Summary of stakeholders' information by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Compilation of UN information

The Philippines' national report

Report of the working group

the Netherlands

Summary of stakeholders' information by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Compilation of UN information

the Netherlands' national report

Report of the working group

EPU : examen du Royaume-Uni, du Brésil, des Philippines et des Pays Bas, mai 2012

NJ et GC — 2012-05-21T13:04:00Z

Le Groupe de travail du Conseil des droits de l'homme chargé de l'Examen périodique universel tient sa treizième session

Le Groupe de travail du Conseil des droits de l'homme chargé de l'Examen périodique universel tiens sa treizième session du 21 mai au 4 juin 2012 afin d'examiner la situation des droits de l'homme dans quatorze pays : Bahreïn, Équateur, Tunisie, Maroc, Indonésie, Finlande, Royaume-Uni, Inde, Brésil, Philippines, Algérie, Pologne, Pays-Bas et Afrique du Sud.

Une ACAT existe au Royaume-Uni, au Brésil, aux Philippines et aux Pays-Bas. La FIACAT suit donc tout particulièrement ces examens.

Agenda de la 13ème session

Webcast (Chaine 11 ou 12)

Royaume-Uni

Contribution conjointe FIACAT- ACAT Royaume-Uni en vue du deuxième EPU du Royaume-Uni

Compilation des informations reçues des "autres parties prenantes"

Compilation des informations des Nations unies

Rapport national du Royaume-Uni

Rapport du Groupe de travail

Brésil

Contribution conjointe FIACAT- ACAT Brésil en vue du deuxième EPU du Brésil

Compilation des informations reçues des "autres parties prenantes"

Compilation des informations des Nations unies

Rapport national du Brésil

Rapport du Groupe de travail

Philippines

Compilation des informations reçues des "autres parties prenantes"

Compilation des informations des Nations unies

Rapport national des Philippines

Rapport du Groupe de travail

Pays-Bas

Compilation des informations reçues des "autres parties prenantes"

Compilation des informations des Nations unies

Rapport national des Pays-Bas

Rapport du Groupe de travail

[Press release] The UPR mechanism embarks on its second review cycle

NJ et GC — 2012-05-21T11:58:48Z

With the opening of the thirteenth session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on 21 May 2012, FIACAT welcomes the start of the second cycle of reviews, which will lead to an assessment of the recommendations accepted by the Member States of the United Nations (UN) at the time of their first review.

The Universal Periodic Review is an innovative, unique mechanism introduced by the United Nations in April 2008 by which the Human Rights Council assesses the Human Rights performance of all the UN Member States.
FIACAT has supported this process from the outset and trains its member associations to play a full part. On the basis of its experience, FIACAT published a report in 2010 [1] which included an initial mid-term assessment and drew particular attention to recommendations for improving the mechanism.

The UPR is a step forward, for several reasons. It stipulates a deadline for assessing the progress of all States in implementing human rights. Since it is an inter-State exercise, countries cannot ignore it. It encourages them to state their position on each recommendation made during the interactive dialogue. It may enliven the debate on human rights at national level and make for greater cooperation within civil society, especially as regards monitoring implementation of the recommendations. Finally, the UPR covers all human rights, so a State can no longer escape a review of the rights protected by a treaty simply by failing to ratify it.

Today sees the start of the follow-up to the UPR recommendations, the most critical and most important phase of the whole UPR process, the one which will lead to the States meeting – or missing - the target of improving the human rights situations in their countries. The success of this phase will also be crucial for the effectiveness and credibility of the mechanism and will demonstrate the States' commitment to promoting and strengthening human rights.

FIACAT encourages the States to set out clearly in writing to the Council, preferably before their review meeting, their position on all the recommendations they have received, the means used to implement the recommendations, the results achieved, the difficulties encountered and solutions developed to put into practice, fully and effectively, the recommendations accepted at the time of the first review cycle. FIACAT encourages the States to study those recommendations rejected at the time of the first review and to open and maintain a quality dialogue with civil society on all the recommendations made during the first cycle.

Press contact: Nathalie Jeannin – n.jeannin@fiacat.org – tel. +41 7874 99 328

[1] “The UPR - An ambivalent exercise” April 2008 – December 2009 http://www.fiacat.org/fiacat-s-repo...

[Communiqué] Le mécanisme d'EPU entame son deuxième cycle d'examens

NJ et GC — 2012-05-21T11:51:28Z

À l'occasion de l'ouverture le 21 mai 2012, de la treizième session de l'Examen Périodique universel (EPU), la FIACAT salue le début du deuxième cycle d'examens qui va permettre d'évaluer les recommandations acceptées par les Etats membres des Nations unies lors de leur premier examen.

L'Examen Périodique Universel est un mécanisme innovant et unique des Nations unies, commencé en avril 2008, par lequel le Conseil des droits de l'Homme évalue tous les Etats membres de l'ONU pour leur performance en matière de droits de l'Homme.
La FIACAT soutient ce processus depuis sa création. Elle forme ses associations membres pour leur permettre d'y participer pleinement. Fort de son expérience, la FIACAT a publié un rapport en 2010 [1], dans lequel elle a dressé un premier bilan à mi parcours de l'EPU et a insisté sur un certain nombre de recommandations pour l'amélioration du mécanisme.

L'EPU est une avancée pour plusieurs raisons. Il prévoit un délai fixe pour évaluer les progrès de tous les Etats dans la mise en œuvre des droits de l'Homme. Le caractère interétatique de l'exercice le rend incontournable pour les Etats. Il incite ces derniers à exprimer leur position sur chaque recommandation énoncée lors du dialogue interactif. L'EPU peut aider à tonifier, au niveau national, le débat sur les droits de l'Homme et renforcer la coopération au sein de la société civile, notamment dans le suivi de la mise en œuvre des recommandations. Enfin, l'EPU concerne tous les droits de l'Homme, il ne suffit donc plus à un Etat de na pas ratifier un traité pour se soustraire à l'examen des droits qui y sont protégés.

Aujourd'hui s'ouvre la phase du suivi des recommandations de l'EPU, phase la plus critique et la plus importante de tout le processus de l'EPU car c'est celle qui donnera lieu ou non à la réalisation concrète de son objectif d'« amélioration de la situation des droits de l'Homme sur le terrain ». La réussite de cette phase déterminera également l'efficacité et la crédibilité du mécanisme et démontrera l'engagement des États dans la promotion et le renforcement des droits de l'Homme.

La FIACAT encourage les Etats à communiquer en toute clarté au Conseil par écrit, de préférence avant leur séance d'examen, leur position au sujet de toutes les recommandations qu'ils ont reçues, les moyens engagés pour les mettre en œuvre, les résultats, les difficultés rencontrées et les solutions développées pour aboutir à une mise en œuvre complète et effective des recommandations acceptées lors du premier cycle d'examen. La FIACAT encourage les Etats à étudier les recommandations rejetées lors du premier examen et à ouvrir et maintenir un dialogue de qualité avec la société civile sur l'ensemble des recommandations émises lors du premier cycle.

Contact presse : Nathalie Jeannin – n.jeannin@fiacat.org – tel. +41 7874 99 328

[1] « Examen périodique universel : Un exercice ambivalent » - Avril 2008 – décembre 2009 : http://www.fiacat.org/fr/IMG/pdf/FI...

Canada and Czech Republic reviewed by the Committee against torture, May 2012

NJ et GC — 2012-05-07T09:04:00Z

The 48th session of the UN Committee against torture will take place in Geneva from 7 May to 1st June 2012.

FIACAT will represent both ACAT concerned during this session and transmit their concerns on the situation of torture and ill-treatment in the country to the Committee's experts.

States, in which an ACAT exist, that have submitted their reports on the application of the Convention against Torture and will be examinated in May 2012 are :

CANADA

The examination by the UN Committee Against Torture of Canada's 6th periodic report takes place during the 48th session of the CAT, on 21st and 22th May 2012, in Geneva.

6th periodic report

List of issues

The government's replies

The Committee's Conclusions and recommendations

CZECH REPUBLIC

The examination by the UN Committee Against Torture of the 4th to 5th periodic reports of Czech Republic takes place during the 48th session of the CAT, on 14th and 15th May 2012, in Geneva.

4th to 5th periodic reports

List of issues

The Government's replies

The Committee's Conclusions and recommendations

Le Canada et la République Tchèque examinés par le Comité contre la torture, mai 2012

NJ et GC — 2012-05-07T08:44:00Z

Le Comité contre la torture tiendra sa 48ème session à Genève du 7 mai au 1er juin 2012.

Les États, dans lesquels une ACAT existe, ayant soumis un rapport sur la mise en application de la Convention contre la torture et dont l'examen par le Comité contre la torture des Nations unies, est prévu durant cette session sont :

CANADA

L'examen par le Comité contre la torture des Nations Unies du 6ème rapport périodique du Canada a lieu les 21 et 22 mai 2012.

6ème rapport périodique du Canada

Liste de questions

Réponses du gouvernement canadien

Recommandations du CAT

RÉPUBLIQUE TCHÈQUE

L'examen par le Comité contre la torture des Nations Unies des quatrième et cinquième rapports périodiques de la République Tchèque a lieu à Genève les 14 et 15 mai 2012.

quatrième et cinquième rapports périodiques de la République Tchèque

Liste des questions posées par le Comité contre la torture

Réponses du gouvernement Tchèque

Recommandations du CAT

51st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples' Rights

NJ et GC — 2012-05-02T13:39:00Z

The 51st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) took place in Banjul from 18 April to 2 May 2012. In this session, the Commission reviewed state reports from Sudan and Angola, and adopted the concluding observations on Togo.

Death penalty

The Working Group on the death penalty in Africa launched, on April 19, its "Study on the question of the death penalty in Africa." This study, which was adopted at the 50th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR in November 2011, is a very useful tool for the implementation of regional strategies in favour of the abolition the death penalty.

In conclusion of this study, the Commission recommends that Member states of the African Union adopt a Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the abolition of the death penalty in Africa.

Togo

FIACAT and ACAT Togo have submitted to the Commission additional information following the review of periodic report of Togo at the 50th Ordinary Session of the Commission.

The information has been collected in November and December 2011 and aim to reply to questions from the Commissioners of the Review of the periodic report of Togo.

Prevention of Torture

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the ACHPR (CPTA) has published the fourth issue of its newsletter "Africa Torture Watch". FIACAT submitted an article for this letter on "Preventing torture in Burkina Faso: Use of Community Service, as an Alternative to Prison".

For further information

Oral statement of the FIACAT for the launch of the Study on the death penalty in Africa "Is the Death Penalty an Inhuman and Degrading Treatment?"

Oral statement of the FIACAT on behalf of the World Coalition against the death penalty on the death penalty in Africa

Additional information of FIACAT and ACAT Togo addressed to the ACHPR (Only available in French)

"Preventing torture in Burkina Faso: Use of Community Service, as an Alternative to Prison"

Press Release: "51st Session of the ACHPR: FIACAT is involved in favour of abolishing the death penalty in Africa"

HONDURAS: Tragedies in overcrowded prisons

NJ et GC — 2012-05-01T10:16:00Z

Following the accidental blaze that devastated the Comayagua penitentiary on 14 February, Bishop Roberto Camilleri, from that diocese in Honduras, spoke about “the worst tragedy in the history of our country's prisons” and deplored the “inhuman life and security conditions due to dreadful overcrowding in the prison population”. The Bishop pointed out that the disaster was the third incident of that kind in an Honduran prison over the last years. In 2004 a blaze in San Pedro Sula prison had killed more than 100 people.

In the Comayagua prison centre, some 85 km north of the capital Tegucigalpa, 360 inmates and a woman visitor lost their lifes in horrific circumstances, trapped with absolutely no means of escape. Numerous others suffered critical burns.

The Centre had been designed to house 250 prisoners but at the time of the fire it held 852 inmates. The fact that the Comayagua prison was the highest security jail nationwide was a compounding circumstance which accounts for the particularly high casualty figure.

Six weeks later, on 29 March, 13 inmates were killed at the San Pedro Sula prison after a violent mutiny broke out and a fire started. Honduras Attorney General himself admitted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the prison with only 800 beds was housing more than 2 200 inmates. Nationwide, in this country with the highest homicide rate in the world, 12 500 prisoners are held in 24 prisons built for a total capacity of 8 000, in conditions that make the Honduras prison system a real time bomb ready to explode at any moment.

At the time of the deadly blaze in Comayagua, relatives of inmates at the San Pedro Sula prison had warned that it had far worse overcrowding and security conditions. Many of those currently languishing in that jail have been there for years awaiting trial and have not even been convicted of any crime.

Despite the repeated government promises that such incidents would never happen again, it seems that no lessons have been learned from the tragic events at Comayagua.

HONDURAS : Tragédies dans des prisons surpeuplées

NJ et GC — 2012-05-01T10:06:00Z

Après l'incendie accidentel qui a ravagé le pénitencier de Comayagua le 14 février dernier, Monseigneur Roberto Camilleri, l'Évêque de ce diocèse du Honduras, a parlé de la « pire tragédie de l'histoire des prisons de notre pays » et a déploré les « conditions de vie et d'insécurité inhumaines dans le cadre du terrible surpeuplement qui affecte la population carcérale ». L'Évêque a fait remarquer que cette catastrophe était le troisième incident de ce type survenu dans une prison hondurienne ces dernières années. En 2004 déjà, le feu avait pris dans la prison de San Pedro Sula, faisant plus d'une centaine de victimes.

Dans le centre pénitentiaire de Comayagua, situé à environ 85 km au nord de la capitale Tegucigalpa, 360 prisonniers et une visiteuse ont perdu la vie dans des circonstances atroces, piégés sans aucun moyen d'échapper aux flammes. De nombreuses autres personnes ont été grièvement brûlées.

Le Centre avait été construit pour accueillir 250 personnes alors que la population carcérale au moment des faits y était de 852 détenus. Circonstance aggravante qui explique le bilan aussi lourd, la prison de Comayagua disposait du plus haut niveau de sûreté au plan national.

Six semaines plus tard, le 29 mars, 13 détenus trouvaient la mort à la prison de San Pedro Sula au cours d'une violente mutinerie suivie d'un incendie. De l'aveu même du Procureur Général du Honduras devant la Commission interaméricaine des droits de l'homme, l'établissement qui compte seulement 800 lits hébergeait plus de 2 200 prisonniers. Au niveau national, dans ce pays où le taux d'homicides est le plus élevé au monde, 12 500 détenus peuplent les 24 prisons bâties pour une capacité totale de 8 000 personnes, dans des conditions qui font de ces établissements de véritables bombes à retardement prêtes à exploser à tout moment.

Au moment de l'incendie meurtrier de Comayagua, les familles des prisonniers de San Pedro Sula avaient déjà fait remarquer que la surpopulation et les conditions de sécurité y étaient encore pires. Beaucoup de ceux qui s'y trouvent y languissent depuis des années en attente de leur procès et n'ont même pas encore été condamnés pour un crime quelconque.

En dépit des promesses répétées du gouvernement hondurien que de tels incidents ne se reproduiraient plus, aucune leçon ne semble avoir été tirée des événements tragiques de Comayagua.

Preventing torture in Burkina Faso: Use of Community Service, as an Alternative to Prison

NJ et GC — 2012-04-24T11:45:15Z

Article published in the newsletter of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA) "Africa Torture Watch No. 4" in April 2012

Overcrowding in prisons is endemic in Burkina Faso and can be considered to amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In fact, the occupancy rate in prisons is around 200% and is even higher in male-dominated major buildings. In April 2011, the occupancy rate was 267.22% at Bobo Dioulasso prison, 260% in Fada N'Gourma and more than 311% in the quarter for adult men in the Ouagadougou central prison. The overcrowding is one of the causes of appalling prison conditions, poor sanitary conditions, shortage of food supply and healthcare, which may in some cases be fatal. Decreasing overcrowding could help fight against lack of food, lack of medicine and against violence between inmates. The legal system in Burkina Faso sets out Community service (Travaux d'intérêt généraux - TIG) as an alternative to detention. Its implementation is being explored to prevent overcrowding and all forms of ill-treatment in prison facilities.

Community service (TIG) were introduced in the penal system in Burkina Faso in 2004 when politicians realized that prison as a means to fight against crime was a failure. The Community Service is a sentence imposed by a correctional court; the offender has to perform unpaid work to benefit the community instead of going to jail. Thus, the convicted person avoids prison, keeps his job and maintains social relationships.

TIG has three main goals:
The punishment of the offender: TIG is a constraint both physical and moral for the offender. On the one hand, his freedom is restricted, TIG requires self-discipline and respect for others and, secondly, it confines the offender to situations or tasks that involve his free will, his experience and his capacities. The convicted person works for free;
It repairs the damage caused to the community;
It helps with the rehabilitation of the offender.

Facilitating the implementation of Community service

To prevent torture and ill treatments in prison, the International Federation of ACAT (FIACAT), together with ACAT-Burkina and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), have been running a three year project in Burkina Faso aiming at improvement of prison conditions.

Within the framework of this project, a preliminary study on prison conditions was conducted. It enabled a general overview of the prison situation in Burkina Faso. The concluding observations of the study highlighted that the improvement of prison conditions is the direct responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and of all institutions, which operate in the penal procedure chain. Given the lack of funding and the weak capacity of the prison administration, civil society organizations, with the support of technical and financial partners, are the main actors that support the implementation of mechanisms which could improve prison conditions in Burkina Faso. It is in this context that FIACAT and ACAT-Burkina Faso decided to work more specifically on Community Services as alternatives to detention for fighting against the overcrowding. In 2010, they organized several public awareness raising workshops on TIG and other relevant themes including citizenship, the rights of detainees and alternative sentences to imprisonment. These workshops targeted judges, members of civil society, the security forces and wardens on Community Services. The two organizations also set up a Day of Solidarity with detainees held in Koudougou, third largest city of the country, on 18 December 2010.

The project is arousing a great deal of interest on the part of legal and political bodies in Burkina Faso. Following the three workshops organized on Community Service in 2010, several judges have committed themselves to implement the alternative punishments to custody; state prosecutors want to accompany the implementation of Community Services for individuals who have committed minor offences, who are young and non-recidivists. Prosecutors of Bobo-Dioulasso, Gaoua, Koudougou and to a lesser extent Ouagadougou, began to implement the legislation on community service. However the results are currently difficult to evaluate and events that occurred in Burkina Faso from February to June 2011 and the arrests that followed did not help the decongestion of prisons.

Conclusion

The Community Service as a sentence has many benefits. It helps fight against prison overcrowding, reduces the maintenance costs of inmates and thereby improve the conditions of detention. It also provides cost effective workforce to local authorities and state administrations. It also helps to limit contacts between those convicted for minor offences and dangerous criminals, reducing subsequently the risk of recidivism. Lastly, TIG helps with the reintegration of prisoners.

This experience on community service in Burkina Faso could be seen as a good practice that should be promoted and replicated in other countries as a means for preventing torture and ill-treatment as well as improving conditions of detention.

Guillaume Colin
Program Officer, FIACAT