CAT/C/EST/CO/5
The State party should:
(a)
Vigorously enforce the new anti-trafficking law and take effective
measures to prevent human trafficking and increase protection to its victims;
(b)
Promptly, thoroughly, effectively and impartially investigate, prosecute
and punish trafficking in persons and related practices;
(c)
Provide redress to victims of trafficking, including legal, medical and
psychological aid and rehabilitation, as well as adequate shelters and assistance in
reporting incidents of trafficking to the police;
(d)
Prevent the return of trafficked persons to their countries of origin
where there are substantial grounds to believe that they would be in danger of torture,
and enhance international cooperation with regard to preventing and punishing
trafficking;
(e)
Provide specialized training to the police, prosecutors and judges on
effective prevention, investigation, prosecutions and punishment of acts of trafficking,
and inform the general public of the criminal nature of such acts;
(f)
Compile disaggregated data on the number of complaints, investigations,
prosecutions and sentences handed down for acts of trafficking, on the provision of
redress to the victims and on the difficulties experienced in preventing such acts; and
provide this information to the Committee.
National human rights institution
14.
Recalling its previous concluding observations (para. 11) which noted that the
Chancellor of Justice had been designated as the National Prevention Mechanism, inspects
places of detention and has issued reports, the Committee is nonetheless concerned that
there has not been an effort for it or another institution to be accredited as a national human
rights institution by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for
the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (art 2).
The State party should consider seeking accreditation from the International
Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights for the Chancellor of Justice or another institution to serve as a
national human rights institution and provide it with adequate resources to carry out
its mandate.
Situation of asylum seekers
15.
The Committee is concerned:
(a)
That persons seeking asylum may not enjoy all the procedural guarantees,
including the right of appeal against negative decisions, including in cases where Estonian
border authorities reportedly reject, within the admissibility or accelerated procedure, all
asylum applications filed by persons who have arrived in Estonia via the Russian
Federation;
(b)
That the risk of refoulement exists with regard to decisions under the
accelerated procedure made by border guards who are not trained, equipped or resourced to
conduct personal interviews, examine applications for international protection and
undertake the legal analysis of the asylum claims;
(c)
By the conditions prevailing in the Harku Expulsion Centre for irregular
migrants, such as poor food, routine handcuffing during transfers to hospitals or courts,
disproportionate use of force and verbal abuse by staff.
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