UN Committee against Torture to review Turkmenistan

GENEVA (17 November 2016) - The UN Committee against Torture is due to review Turkmenistan on 21 and 22 November in Geneva. Turkmenistan has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and so is required to be reviewed regularly by the Committee.

Among the possible issues for discussion between CAT members and a delegation from the Turkmen Government are:

• Failure to ensure  fundamental safeguards against torture and ill-treatment from outset of detention;
• Independence and impartiality of the judiciary;
• Prevention of violence against women, including domestic and sexual violence;
• Implementation of a standardised and accessible asylum and referral procedure at border points;
• Steps to  abolish incommunicado detention;
• Violence in detention, including physical abuse, sexual violence and rape or collective punishment by prison officers and/or detainees;
• Protection of human rights defenders and journalists intimidation or violence as a result of their activities.

The review will take place at Palais Wilson in Geneva from 10:00-13:00 (14:00-17:00 in Ashgabat) on 21 November and 15:00 to 18:00 on 22 November (19:00-22:00) and be webcast live at http://webtv.un.org/. The Committee will also hear from NGO representatives.

More information, including Turkmenistan’s submitted written report, at: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1085&Lang=en

The Committee has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday, 7 December at 12:30 at the Palais des Nations to discuss its findings on Turkmenistan and the other States being reviewed – Ecuador, Finland, Monaco, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Armenia, Cape Verde. These findings, officially known as concluding observations, will be published here on 7 December: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1085&Lang=en
         
ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell +41 (0) 22 917 9466/ +41 79 752 0488 ethrossell@ohchr.org)

Media accreditation:    http://unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpPages)/70991F6887C73B2280256EE700379C58?OpenDocument

Background
Members of the CAT are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information:  http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cat/pages/catindex.aspx

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