The international prohibition
of torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment
________________________________________________________________________
Therese Maria Rytter, University of Lund, December 2013
________________________________________________________________
1
AGENDA
1) The prevalence of torture
2) The prohibition of torture and CIDT under international law
3) UN Convention against Torture
4) Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture
5) Global challenges
2
Prevalence of systematic and
widespread torture
Source:
UN Human Rights Committee, UN Committee against Torture, UN Special Rapporteur on
Torture and UN Human Rights Commission country mechanisms, cf. Redress
Given that UN bodies have not systematically analyzed the degree of torture in every
3
country, the countries highlighted in this map is somewhat incomplete.
Prevalence of torture
and other ill-treatment
Source Amnesty International, cf. Redress
4
Status of ratification of
the UN Convention against Torture
Global Status: 154 States parties (December 2013)
5
II. The prohibition of torture
and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment under
international law
6
Prohibition of torture
under international law
I. General international conventions
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
- Geneva Conventions I-IV (1949) and the Additional Protocols (1977)
II. Specific conventions against torture
- UN Convention against Torture (1984) and the Optional Protocol (2002)
- European Convention for the Prevention of Torture (1987)
- Inter-American Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Torture (1985)
III. Regional conventions
- European Convention of Human Rights (1950)
- Inter-American Convention on Human Rights (1969)
- African Charter on Human Rights (1981)
- Arab Charter on Human Rights (1994)
IV. Statutes of international criminal courts
- Former Yugoslavia (1993) and Rwanda (1994)
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998)
7
Prohibition of torture under
international human rights law
1) General prohibition of torture (CCPR art. 7 and ECHR art. 3)
No one shall be subjected to torture or to other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
2)
Specific prohibition of torture (CAT art 2)
No exceptional circumstances whatsoever may be invoked
as a justification of torture, including
a) a state of war or a threat of war
b) internal political instability or other public emergency
c) an order from a superior officer or public authority
8
Definition of torture
UN Convention against Torture
1) Torture is an intentional act (or omission)
2) Infliction of severe pain or suffering, physical or mental
3) For purposes of obtaining a confession or information,
punishing, intimidating or coercing the victim/third person,
or for any other reason based on discrimination
4) Inflicted by a public official or with his consent or
acquiescence
9
Definition of cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment
International conventions:
- No definition
Jurisprudence from the UN Committee against Torture
- Inhuman:
Does not require a specific purpose
- Degrading: Does not require severe pain or suffering or a specific purpose
Jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights
- Inhuman:
If the act is intentional (optional), lasting hours (optional), and/or
if the act causes bodily harm or intense physical/mental suffering
- Degrading:
If the act gives rise to a feeling of fear or inferiority, which may
humiliate the victim or break down his physical or moral resistance
10
When does an act constitute
torture or inhuman treatment?
Individual assessment of the concrete circumstances
in each case
Decisive elements:
1) Intensity
2) Duration
3) Physical and mental consequences
4) The victim’s gender, age and health condition
11
Physical torture (examples)
• • Beatings
(e.g.(e.g.
Falanqa)
Beatings
Falanqa)
• Suspension in painful positions (Palestinian hanging)
• Suspension in painful positions (Palestinian hanging)
• Suffocation (e.g. Waterboarding)
• Suffocation (e.g. Waterboarding)
• Electric shocks
• Electric shocks
• Sexual torture and rape
Sexual
torture
andetc.)
rape
• • Burns
(iron,
cigarettes,
• • Extraction
of nails
and teeth etc.)
Burns (iron,
cigarettes,
• Incarceration in tiny cells/cages for days
• Extraction of nails and teeth
• Incarceration in tiny cells/cages for days
12
Mental torture (examples)
• • Threats
Threatsofofexecution
execution
• • Simulated
Simulatedexecutions
executions
• • Threats
Threatsofoftorture
tortureororkilling
killingofofthe
thevictims
victimsororhis/her
his/herfamily
family
• Forced presence at the torture of others
• Forced presence at the torture of others
• • Application
Applicationofofmind
mindaltering
alteringsubstances
substancesororpractices,
practices,which are
aimed
profoundly
disrupting the
victim’s the
senses
or
whichatare
aimed at profoundly
disrupting
victim’s
personality
senses or personality
13
III. UN CONVENTION
against torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment
14
Main obligations
1) State obligations to prevent torture
2) State obligations to criminalize torture and
to prosecute and punish perpetrators
3) State obligations to provide remedies and
reparation to victims of torture
15
General obligation to prevent torture
and other ill-treatment (Art. 2 & 16)
Each State shall take effective legislative,
administrative, judicial or other measures to
prevent torture and other CIDT
16
Principle of non-refoulement (Art. 3)
No State party may expel or extradite a person to
another State, if there are substantial grounds for
believing that he would be in danger of being tortured
17
Education of law enforcement
personnel (Art. 10)
EachState
Stateparty
partyshall
shallensure
ensurethat
thateducation
educationand
and information
Each
about the prohibition
against torture
aretorture
included
information
about the prohibition
against
arein the
traininginofthe
lawtraining
enforcement
included
of law personnel
enforcement personnel
18
Criminalisation of torture (Art. 4)
Each State party shall ensure that all acts of
torture are offences under its criminal law,
including attempts, complicity, participation,
and are punishable by appropriate penalties
19
Jurisdiction (Art. 5)
Each
EachState
Stateparty
partyshall
shallestablish
establishjurisdiction
jurisdictionover
over
torture
tortureoffences
offencesininthe
thefollowing
followingcases:
cases:
1)1)When
Whentorture
tortureisiscommitted
committedininany
anyterritory
territoryunder
under
the
theState’s
State’sjurisdiction
jurisdiction
2)2)When
Whenthe
thealleged
allegedoffender
offenderisisaanational
nationalofofthat
that
State
State
3)3)When
Whenthe
thevictim
victimisisaanational
nationalofofthat
thatState,
State,ififthe
the
State
Stateconsiders
considersititappropriate
appropriate
20
Universal Jurisdiction (Art. 5)
Each State party shall establish universal jurisdiction
over torture offences
”Either extradite or prosecute”
States parties shall ensure that persons suspected of
torture are prosecuted, if present on the state territory,
no matter where the torture has taken places or the
nationality of the alleged offender
21
Investigation (Art. 12)
Each
EachState
Stateparty
partyshall
shallensure
ensurethat
thataaprompt
promptand
and
impartial
impartialinvestigation
investigationisisinitiated,
initiated,whenever
wheneverthere
thereisis
reasonable
reasonableground
groundtotobelieve
believethat
thattorture
torturehas
hasbeen
been
committed
committedon
onits
itsterritory
territory
22
Prosecution (Art. 7)
Each State party shall prosecute all persons
under its jurisdiction who are alleged to have
committed an act of torture
23
Evidence in court (Art. 15)
EachState
Stateparty
partyshall
shallensure
ensurethat
thatany
anystatement,
statement,which
Each
is established
havemade
beenasmade
as aofresult
of
iswhich
established
to haveto
been
a result
torture,
torture,
not beas
invoked
as evidence
in any
legal
shall
not shall
be invoked
evidence
in any legal
proceedings
proceedings
Professor of Forensic Pathology
Gudjonsson:
“The greater
the pressure on suspects,
“The greater the pressure
on suspects,
the greater
the risk of false confessions”,
Forensic Pathology Gudionsson.
the greater the risk ofProf.
falseofconfessions”.
24
Reparation to victims (Art. 14)
Each
EachState
Stateparty
partyshall
shallensure
ensureininits
itslegal
legalsystem
system
that
thatvictims
victimsofoftorture
tortureobtain
obtainredress
redressand
andhave
havean
an
enforceable
enforceableright
righttotofair
fairand
andadequate
adequate
compensation
compensationand
andrehabilitation
rehabilitation
25
UN Committee against Torture:
Monitoring compliance with the Convention
- International expert committee (Art 17-18)
- International expert committee (Art 17-18)
- Periodic state reporting (Art 19)
- Periodic state reporting (Art 19)
- Inquiries procedure, if suspicion of systematic torture (Art 20)
- Inquiries procedure, if suspicion of systematic torture (Art 20)
- Inter-state complaints (Art 21)
- Inter-state complaints (Art 21)
- Individual complaints (Art 22)
- Individual complaints (Art 22)
26
IV. OPTIONAL PROTOCOL
to the UN Convention against Torture
27
International inspections of prisons,
police stations, military camps, etc.
Objective:
OPCAT establishes a system of regular visits to places of
detentions in order to prevent torture, etc. The visits are
conducted by independent international and national bodies
International:
Sub-Committee on Prevention of Torture (25 experts)
Mandate: Visit places of detention and make (confidential)
recommendations to the States about how to strengthen the
protection against torture and improve conditions.
28
National inspections of prisons,
police stations, military camps, etc.
National:
Each State party establishes a new or designates one or more
existing National Preventive Mechanisms
Mandate:
- Visit places of detention
- Examine the treatment of persons deprived of liberty
- Recommend to the State how to strengthen the protection
against torture and improve conditions of detention
- Come up with proposals on draft laws or existing legislation
29
V. Global Challenges
1)1)Shift
Shiftofofparadigm
paradigmafter
after11
11September
September2001:
2001:
Terrorism
Terrorismand
andcounter-terrorism
counter-terrorism
2)2)Organised
Organisedcrime
crimeand
andhuman
humantrafficking
trafficking
3)3)Inhuman
Inhumanprison
prisonconditions
conditions
4)4)Arbitrary
Arbitrarydetention
detentionand
andenforced
enforceddisappearances
disappearances
Global
Globalresponses?
responses?
- - From
Fromstandard-setting
standard-settingand
andmonitoring
monitoringtotoimplementation
implementation
(protection,
(protection,enforcement
enforcementand
andprevention)
prevention)
World Court for Human Rights?
World Court for Human Rights?
30