UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : Press Conference: Special Rapporteur on torture

good afternoon.

And thank you for joining us at this press conference, uh,

by the special rapporteur on torture Doctor Alice Edwards.

Uh, we'll begin with a few remarks, uh,

from the special rapporteur and then proceed to take your questions.

Uh, with that I give the floor to Doctor Edwards.

Thank you very much. And thank you very much for being here.

And apologies for the delays

I

am presenting to the Human Rights Council.

Two reports, one on current issues in prison management

and the other on my fact finding visit to Ukraine,

which was held from 4 to 10 September

last year.

Uh, in respect of the current issues and good practises in prison management,

uh, essentially, there is globally a real need for countries to

reform their prison institutions.

But within a context of the broader criminal justice

setting,

they were my main conclusions.

Too many people are incarcerated for too long,

especially during pretrial detention.

Uh,

many prisons in all regions do not meet minimum minimum international standards.

Severe overcrowding co.

Is a very common problem, and it is driven by practises of over incarceration,

including, as I mentioned in the pretrial period

and insufficient investment in infrastructure.

Many countries are struggling to modernise

uh, their prisons.

They are, uh they house people in old forts in old palaces in the centre of the city,

uh, that are not and not equipped and difficult to renovate to meet, uh,

international standards.

My report also talks about the clear link between poverty and imprisonment and

the over incarceration of persons from

economically disadvantaged or other ma marginalised,

uh, communities.

Uh,

I put a special emphasis in terms of prison management

on human rights compliant management and also a focus that,

uh, prison imprisonment is the

penalty.

And it should not be, uh,

any greater than the deprivation of liberty and that conditions

and standards of treatment need to be humane at all times

that there is no permission.

There is no it is not allowed to, uh, additionally punish people through,

uh, poor conditions.

Uh, the report also tackled some of the global trends that are facing the world,

including climate change and natural disasters, as well as,

uh, future pandemics,

and noting that prisons and, uh, prisons are hotspots for contagious, uh,

disease spread

the very important learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and how, uh,

countries can make sure that they are prepared for future

pandemics that the World Health Organisation tells us will be occurring

with greater intensity and greater ferocity.

Uh, and in terms of climate change, making sure that the conditions in,

uh prisons are upgraded or improved,

uh, to withstand extreme temperatures noting that,

uh, subjecting individuals to, for example, excessive heat

or excessive extreme, uh, cold,

not providing appropriate shade in places that are deeply affected by

high temperatures

or placing prisons in places that are in

locations likely to be affected by natural hazards

all fall foul of the prohibition on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment

or punishment.

Uh, the report also looked at specific segments of the population in prison.

So there is a section on women and girls.

There is a section on, uh, Children and juveniles. There is a section on,

um, indigenous people and also a section that

is new. Uh, I believe to discussions in the UN forum about neurodiversity,

uh, in prison populations and coping with this added complexity.

Uh,

statistics on research that has been carried out show that the

prison population has a high number of individuals with neurodiversity.

Uh, the other area that is perhaps new in relation to, uh, female, uh, detainees

is a call for more research, uh, and guidance on how to handle,

uh, issues around peri uh, menopause and menopause.

Uh, some of the symptoms, uh, make, uh, the standard, um healthcare.

But also conditions in detention problematic for women as they age.

Uh,

and in respect of Children and juveniles, uh,

call to ensure that the age of criminal responsibility

is, uh, no less than 14 years,

and that there's a real effort to make sure that prisons is a really a last resort,

Uh, and other options such as alternatives to detention entirely.

Or alternatively, uh, residential facilities are looked at

and introduced, if not already available,

indigenous people.

Of course,

there's an over representation in a number of countries of indigenous people.

The

calls in the report are to ensure not only obviously humane treatment for all,

but also,

uh, treatment and conditions that are

adapted to the, uh, cultural and spiritual, uh,

needs and rights of indigenous people such that they

may be able to reside in communal spaces,

uh, as well as be able to exercise their spiritual practises and customs

as well as, uh, prepare and, uh,

eat their own food and their own

culturally appropriate diets.

So I think I'll leave it there, and I'm open for questions. Of course.

I also delivered my report on Ukraine.

Uh, and I reiterate what I've previously

or is that because

Is that right? Uh,

previous.

Previously, uh, have stated publicly that I found,

uh,

credible allegations of torture that were

consistent and widespread by the Russian

armed forces and other associated groups, as well as those,

uh,

under their control or authority in the temporarily

occupied areas of Ukraine as well as in Russia

itself.

There was a clear pattern of consistency from

the types of torture that were being perpetrated,

the purposes for that torture, as well as the targets

of that torture.

Um, the report details also my, uh,

visit to one of the Ukrainian prisoner of war camps,

uh, to verify and check the conditions of, uh,

detention and general standards of care for Russian, uh, prisoners of war,

in which I found that the international standards were largely being met.

There was a, uh, atmosphere of respect,

uh,

in the Ukrainian staff to the Russian detainees

and the conditions in terms of sanitation.

Uh, bedding space per person. Uh, outdoor, uh, space,

uh, as well as food were of a, uh, reasonable or good, uh, standard.

Uh, I found, however, for some, uh, at at a penitentiary system in

Levi

where collaborators or alleged collaborators are being

detained that the conditions were relatively poor,

which were also acknowledged by the authorities

and some concerns about access to appropriate health care.

Uh, and finally, I also received,

uh,

allegations of abusive conduct and mistreatment by Ukrainian officials against,

uh, Russian,

uh, detainees primarily indicated

upon arrest or upon capture.

And while being transported to official sites of detention,

Um, I think I'll leave that part of the, uh, the report there. Thanks.

Thank you. Doctor Edwards.

Uh, we will now move on to questions.

So we'll take questions from the room first and then, uh, move on to any questions.

Uh, from those of you who are joining online.

Any questions in the room for Doctor Edwards?

No. Then we have, uh, Musa

who has a question.

Thank you very much. I'm Moussa

Asif from Alma

TV.

Does your report include conditions in Israeli prisons.

In fact, Israel has arrested more than 7000 Palestinians since last October 7th,

including about 300 women and hundreds of Children.

And the Israeli newspaper

Harris

revealed yesterday the killing of 27 Palestinian detainees

from Gaza in Israeli detention centre since last October.

And I am asking if you have, uh, the right to

to, uh to have an access to, uh, Israeli presence. Thank you.

Thank you very much for the very important question.

I am presently

investigating these allegations.

I have received a number of information and I at the

in the process stage of verifying, triangulating substantiating

such allegations

in terms of the conditions as well as the treatment of Palestinian

detainees in Israel's prisons.

I am I can't comment on the number of deaths you have mentioned.

I had previously received information about deaths

in Palestinian deaths of Palestinians in Israeli

custody.

Regrettably, there was there was follow up undertaken,

but there was no further information, So the information

was not adequate to be able to act upon.

so I'm in the process of, uh, uh

reviewing this material, and I expect to be able to,

uh, produce something, uh, in the short term.

I have also requested a visit to Israel

and I in discussions with the Israeli authorities.

Thank you. Uh, we have John Zarak

costs desk.

Yes. Uh, good afternoon. Nice to see someone from the A NU on the podium.

Uh, I've got two questions. Firstly,

I was wondering if you've collected data on

how many countries are still exporting dual use equipment

that are used for torture,

uh,

by governments around the world.

And what measures are you taking to try and stop the export of these,

uh, items. And secondly, in follow up to my colleague's question,

Uh, I, I didn't hear correctly. If you've been, uh,

given, uh, a visa to, uh, investigate in the OPT or not.

But I was interested.

If your office has received and is investigating allegations any allegations

of medical doctors having been mistreated or tortured

during detention in medical facilities in Gaza?

Thank you.

Thanks for the question, John.

In respect of this, your third question, I think, was on

medical doctors. I don't have any information on that. In

respect of visa,

it's too early to say at this stage. I am

in the preliminary discussion phase but I have requested a visit

to visit Israel at this point

in terms of data for exporting dual use equipment. I don't have information on this.

You may know that, uh,

to the General Assembly last year, I presented a report on,

uh, essentially the trade in torture tools as I describe it. But,

uh,

law enforcement equipment that either

inherently is considered inherently cruel,

inhuman or degrading.

Uh, and I presented a list of 20 such items which I,

uh now consider should be banned from both manufacture development,

uh, as well as, uh, use and export.

and a second,

a second list of ordinary law enforcement and other equipment being used by public,

uh, authorities,

uh, which should, uh,

be regulated both at national level and at international level.

And I am calling for a,

uh, international treaty to be able to regulate the trade in law enforcement, uh,

and other equipment used by public authorities,

but in terms of and some of those will be dual use.

Um

uh, items. Um, but that's all I can say on that, uh, issue, uh, and I.

I assume it was a general question not relating to a specific context. Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh, Nina Larson

from FP.

Yeah. Sorry. Can you hear me?

Uh,

thank you. Yeah. Thank you for taking my question.

I was just wondering on the, uh,

on the credible torture allegations that you've heard from about, um,

from the Russians towards the Ukrainian prisoners of war. If, um,

do you have any idea about the numbers or sort of, uh,

you're talking about this being systematic and and widespread?

Does that mean that this is happening in

all places of detention to your understanding?

If you could just give a bit more detail on that. Thank you.

So the information I've gathered both included information, uh,

that I've sought and received prior to the visit,

uh, as well as, uh, interviews with, uh,

alleged victims and survivors during the visit, as well as, of course, uh,

with the public prosecutor's office and the national ombudsman and other,

uh, actors.

According to Ukrainian uh, sources, at the time of the visit,

there were around 103,000 open

cases of any type of, uh, war, crime or crime against humanity, including torture.

But of that number, 90% were registered as torture cases.

Um so that's only one indication of

that's a Ukrainian

prosecution source.

A

number of civil society organisations have

also been laboriously collecting documenting.

They have databases

of sizeable numbers of

victims and survivors

of those victims and survivors.

I've been able to either the information has come directly to

my office or I've been able to meet

in person.

The allegations spread across a wide number of provinces.

in addition, different detention sites in those locations

and an eerie consistency around the types and the purposes for,

uh uh,

that torture for intimidatory purposes for the purposes of punishment

A

a

number to collect evidence and intelligence, uh, number for the pure, uh,

reason of humiliation, which was also, of course, prohibited.

Um, so the, uh, the number of cases that I have reviewed myself now is around.

I had around 50 cases prior to departure

and, uh, a dozen or so during, uh, the visit.

Um, as I said, with, uh, a number of and also looking at, uh, the UN S own, uh,

research and documentation.

Uh, on that who've been interviewing a a broad number,

Um, as well.

Of course there is some concern about double counting,

so our numbers are always going to be inconsistent.

But

in taking each case that I've looked at, uh, individually,

I'm confident, uh, in my findings that, uh, these allegations are credible

and regrettably, that they really point to Russia's, uh,

war policy that there is an intent

and purpose to carrying out, uh, the torture that it cannot be described away,

Uh, as,

uh, aberrant behaviour or ad hoc, uh, behaviour.

And just to add to that, I have requested a a visit to the Russian Federation.

I requested this visit in November last year.

I also requested information that they may have

prior to the visit to Ukraine in order to

check on the conditions and standards of their own prisoners of war.

Uh, my requests in advance of the visit were were left unanswered.

Um, and in respect of my recent request for a country visit, I have had a

a letter of no

verbal

which has rejected

my visit.

I have sought on multiple occasions to meet

with the Russian authorities here in Geneva,

and I will continue to do so so that I am able to exercise my mandate independently.

and impartially.

Thank you. Are there any more questions?

Any more questions for the special rapporteur?

No. So if there are no more questions, then we will now close this press conference.

Just one quick announcement that the special rapporteur has a press pack,

uh, prepared.

So if anybody wants access to that, you can contact my colleague Alessandro.

I will, uh, make sure that his, uh, contact details are in the chat.

Thank you for joining us. Have a good evening.

Thank you.

Press Conference: Special Rapporteur on torture - 08 March 2024