A/69/44
party on the number of cases of refoulement, extradition and expulsion carried out during
the reporting period and on the number of instances and type of cases in which it has
offered and/or accepted diplomatic assurances or guarantees (art. 3).
The State party should take the necessary steps, in cooperation with the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to review its refugee
status determination procedures so as to reduce the backlog of asylum applications.
Jurisdiction over acts of torture
(13) While noting that article 67 of the Constitution establishes the principles governing
extraditions, the Committee is concerned at the lack of clarity regarding the existence of the
necessary legislative measures establishing the State party’s jurisdiction over acts of torture
(arts. 5, 6, 7 and 8).
The State party should ensure that its domestic legislation permits the establishment
of jurisdiction over acts of torture, in accordance with article 5 of the Convention.
Domestic legislation should include provision to bring criminal proceedings, under
article 7, against foreign nationals who have committed acts of torture outside the
territory of the State party, who are present in its territory and have not been
extradited.
Training
(14) The Committee takes note of the information provided by the State party on the
training courses for judges, magistrates and other public officials that are taught at the
Centre for Legal and Judicial Training. However, it regrets the scant information available
on the evaluation of such courses and their effectiveness in reducing the incidence of
torture and ill-treatment. The Committee is also concerned at the lack of specific training
provided to law enforcement officials, judges, prosecutors, forensic doctors and medical
personnel dealing with detained persons on how to detect and document physical and
psychological sequelae of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment (art. 10).
The State party should:
(a)
Provide mandatory training programmes in order to ensure that all
public officials, in particular members of the police and prison staff, are fully aware of
the provisions of the Convention, that breaches are not tolerated but are investigated
and perpetrators brought to trial;
(b)
Assess the effectiveness and impact of training courses on the incidence
of torture and ill-treatment; and
(c)
Provide training on the use of the Manual on Effective Investigation and
Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (Istanbul Protocol) for all relevant personnel, including medical
personnel.
Conditions of detention in prisons and police stations
(15) While acknowledging the steps taken by the State party to improve conditions in
detention centres, including the construction of two new penitentiaries and the allocation of
additional resources, the Committee remains concerned at the extremely high levels of
overcrowding and the harsh conditions prevailing in detention facilities, including holding
cells in police stations. According to the information provided by the State party’s
delegation, 15,430 inmates in the country’s prisons were being held in facilities built to
house 7,804. Furthermore, the State party’s initial report acknowledges the existence of
deficiencies in the prison system, such as dilapidated infrastructure, insufficient water
GE.14-12596
57
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