Visit to Argentina: UN expert group to assess situation of arbitrary detention

Spanish

GENEVA / BUENOS AIRES (3 May 2017) – The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will carry out its second official visit to Argentina from 8 to 18 May 2017 to assess the situation of deprivation of liberty in the country. It will also build on the outcomes of the first visit made by the expert group to the country in 2003. 

The Working Group’s delegation, comprised of human rights experts Elina Steinerte and Sètondji Roland Adjovi, will visit a variety of places of deprivation of liberty, including prisons, health care institutions, and police stations, to meet with persons deprived of their liberty and to seek relevant information, for its assessment of the overall system.

During the ten-day visit, the experts will visit Buenos Aires city and province, as well as the provinces of Jujuy and Chubut, where they will meet with the federal and local authorities, civil society and other stakeholders to build an objective understanding of the wide variety of issues concerning the deprivation of liberty in Argentina.
 
The Group’s delegation will share with the media their preliminary observations at a press conference to be held at the UNIC Buenos Aires Auditorium, located in Junin 1940, 1st floor, City of Buenos Aires, on 18 May from 12:30 to 13:30.  Access to the press conference is strictly limited to journalists.  

The Working Group will present its final report on Argentina to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2018.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is comprised of five independent expert members from five regions of the world: Mr. José Guevara (México), current Chair-Rapporteur; Ms. Elina Steinerte (Latvia), Ms. Leigh Toomey (Australia), Mr. Seong-Phil Hong (Republic of Korea), and Mr. Sètondji Roland Adjovi (Benin).
The Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.

UN Human Rights country page: Argentina

For more information and media requests, please contact:

In Buenos Aires (during the visit):
Gustavo Poch (+ 54 011 4803 7671 /Gustavo.poch@unic.org)
Lucie Viersma (+41 79 444 3702 / lviersma@ohchr.org)
Margarita Nechaeva (+41 79 444 3940 / mnechaeva@ohchr.org)

In Geneva (before and after the visit):
Lucie Viersma (+41 22 928 9380 / lviersma@ohchr.org)
Margarita Nechaeva (+41 22 928 94 62 / mnechaeva@ohchr.org)
or write to wgad@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya – Media Section (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)  

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