A/69/44 Committee remains seriously concerned about the substantial gap between the legislative framework and its practical implementation, as evidenced partly by the lack of cases during the reporting period in which State officials have been prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for torture (arts. 2, 4, 12 and 16). (6) The Committee is gravely concerned at the State party’s persistent pattern of failure to conduct prompt, impartial and full investigations into the many allegations of torture and ill-treatment and to prosecute alleged perpetrators, which has led to serious underreporting by victims of torture and ill-treatment, and impunity for State officials allegedly responsible (arts. 2, 11, 12, 13 and 16). In particular, the Committee is concerned about: (a) The lack of an independent and effective mechanism for receiving complaints and conducting impartial and full investigations into allegations of torture. Serious conflicts of interest appear to prevent existing mechanisms from undertaking effective, impartial investigations into complaints received; (b) Barriers at the pre-investigation stage, particularly with regard to forensic medical examinations, which in many cases are not carried out promptly following allegations of abuse, are performed by medical professionals who lack independence, and/or are conducted in the presence of other public officials, leading to the failure of the medical personnel to adequately record detainees’ injuries, and consequently to investigators’ failure to open formal investigations into allegations of torture, for lack of evidence; (c) The apparent practice by investigators of valuing the testimonies of individuals implicated in torture over those of complainants, and of dismissing complaints summarily; and (d) The failure of the judiciary to effectively investigate torture allegations raised by criminal defendants and their lawyers in court. Various sources report that judges commonly ignore information alleging the use of torture, including reports from independent medical examinations. As a matter of urgency, the State party should take immediate and effective measures to prevent acts of torture and ill-treatment throughout the country, including by implementing policies that would eliminate impunity for perpetrators of torture and ill-treatment and ensure prompt, impartial, effective investigations into all allegations of torture and ill-treatment, prosecution of those responsible, and the imposition of appropriate sentences on those convicted. The State party should: (a) Publicly and unambiguously condemn the use of all forms of torture, warning that any person ordering, committing, instigating, acquiescing to or acting as an accomplice to such acts shall be criminally prosecuted and punished; (b) Establish an independent and effective mechanism to facilitate the submission of complaints by victims of torture and ill-treatment to public authorities; and ensure that complaint mechanisms are available and that complainants are protected in practice against abuse or intimidation as a consequence of their complaint or any evidence given; (c) Ensure that all health professionals who encounter signs of torture and ill-treatment are under a legal obligation to document such abuses, in line with the Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol), that all persons deprived of their liberty are guaranteed timely access to a qualified and independent medical investigator upon their request, and that all medical examinations are carried 36 GE.14-12596