Summary

The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (SR) invites civil society, national human rights institutions, academics, international organizations, and other interested stakeholders to share their input to inform his forthcoming report on deaths in custody, to be presented at the 53rd regular session of the Human Rights Council, in June 2023. The report will focus primarily on deaths in custody of persons deprived of liberty in the criminal justice context, occurring from the moment of their arrest, and its immediate aftermath; during law enforcement custody; during pre-trial up to post-conviction detention. This call does not include instances where prisoners are judicially executed.

The report aims to raise awareness about deaths in custody globally and to contribute to the protection of the right to life of those deprived of liberty, including with practical recommendations and best practices on the effective investigation, documentation and prevention of custodial deaths.

Background

Information about deaths in custody in the criminal justice context is often scarce, incomplete or difficult to access and there is presently no comprehensive global body of knowledge about these deaths, including those that may have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, cases of deaths in custody are frequently underreported or go unrecognized and unreported, which undermines accountability and the design and implementation of effective prevention measures and policies. 

The Special Rapporteur believes that a better understanding of the global phenomenon of deaths in custody, including its causes, dimension and characteristics, is necessary in order to help strengthen the protection of the right to life of persons deprived of liberty and the prevention of custodial deaths as required under international law, which requires their effective investigation and documentation. 

The questionnaire is available in English | Français | Español
 

Contact details and Confidentiality

Please provide your name, the title of your institution or organization (if applicable) and your contact details, including your email address, in case we need to contact you in connection with your submission. All contributions received will be posted on the website of the mandate on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, unless it is indicated that the submission should be kept confidential.