TREC/004/4/2012: Recommendation on Torture in Africa
We the participants at the NGO Forum preceding the 51st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the 25th African Human Rights Book Fair held from 14th-16 April, 2012 in Banjul, The Gambia call on the African Commission to:
- Urge all member states to close all secret detention facilities and make known the location of all detention facilities operating in their respective countries and allow access and monitoring of all police stations, prisons and detention centre by independent oversight bodies including national human rights institutions and NGOs.
- Urge all member states to develop a central database capturing all places of detention (including prisons and police cells), their capacity, total lock up, persons detained and duration in custody as well as ensure effective documentation, investigation and redress of all cases of torture.
- Request that member state should establish mechanisms to effectively prevent arbitrary arrests, torture and extra-judicial killings perpetrated by state agents and prosecution of all such cases within their jurisdiction.
- Encourage all member states to effectively provide full reparation, including rehabilitation and support to victims of torture as well as free medical treatment and legal redress.
- Urge all member states to criminalise torture and fully implement the provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT), the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) and the Robben Island Guidelines (RIG) and reflect the steps taken in this direction in their periodic reports to the African Commission.
Done in Banjul – 16th April, 2012
