Committee on torture reports on situation in seven countries, concludes session

Committee on torture reports on situation in seven countries, concludes session

The United Nations committee of experts that monitors compliance with the Convention against Torture concluded its spring session today, issuing recommendations on the situation in Sweden, Uzbekistan, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation.

During its three-week session, the Committee against Torture considered reports submitted by those countries and held dialogues with their representatives. States parties are required to report to the Committee periodically on their compliance with the Convention, which has been ratified or acceded to by 129 countries.

Among its comments, the panel said that Saudi Arabia should re-examine the imposition by authorities of corporal punishments, particularly flogging and amputation, that were not in conformity with the Convention. It asked for Russia to ensure prompt, impartial and full investigations into many allegations of torture reported to the authorities, including in Chechnya, Russian Federation.

The Committee also met in closed session to consider communications from individuals claiming that States parties had violated their rights under the Convention. That procedure relates to the situation in 46 countries which have recognized the Committee's competence to hear such communications.

Also during the session, the Committee, by a 9 to 1 vote, decided that its rapporteur charged with following up on recommendations to States parties should give attention, "in the course of general activities," to the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

At its next session, from 11 to 22 November, the Committee will consider periodic reports from Venezuela, Spain, Egypt, Estonia and Cyprus. The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into force on 26 June 1987.