CAT/C/ETH/CO/1
visits to places of deprivation of liberty and to examine complaints about alleged violations
of human rights, including those protected by the Convention. The Committee notes the
lack of follow-up on the suggestions and recommendations made by EHRC in its
Correctional Facilities Monitoring Visit Report and the limited powers of EHRC to initiate
prosecutions in cases where torture or ill-treatment is found to have occurred (arts. 2, 12, 13
and 16).
The State party should strengthen the role and mandate of the Ethiopian
Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to undertake regular and unannounced
visits to places of deprivation of liberty and to issue independent findings and
recommendations on such visits. It should also give due weight to the
conclusions of EHRC on individual complaints, including by communicating
such conclusions to the public prosecutor’s office in cases where torture or illtreatment is found to have occurred. The State party is requested to provide
information, including statistical data, on the complaints examined by EHRC in
relation to alleged torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, and to indicated whether any such cases have been submitted to
the competent authorities for prosecution. Furthermore, the State party should
intensify its efforts to ensure that EHRC is in full compliance with the
principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and
protection of human rights (Paris Principles).
Conditions of detention
26.
The Committee notes the State party’s efforts to reflect the Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners,
the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or
Imprisonment and the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials in its legislation and
administrative regulations for the treatment of prisoners and detainees (see State party
report, paras. 54–55). However, the Committee remains seriously concerned about
consistent reports of overcrowding, poor hygienic and sanitary conditions, lack of sleeping
space, food and water, the absence of adequate health care, including for pregnant women
and HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients, the absence of specialized facilities for prisoners
and detainees with disabilities, co-detention of juveniles with adults, inadequate protection
of juvenile prisoners and children detained with their mothers from violence in prisons and
places of detention in the State party (arts. 11 and 16).
The State party should take urgent measures to bring the conditions of
detention in police stations, prisons and other places of detention into line with
the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, as well as with
other relevant standards, in particular by:
(a)
Reducing prison overcrowding, including by considering noncustodial forms of punishment and, in the case of juveniles, by ensuring that
detention is only used as a measure of last resort;
(b)
Improving the quality and quantity of food and water as well as
the health care provided to detainees and prisoners, including children,
pregnant women and HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients;
(c)
Improving the conditions of detention for minors and ensuring
that they are detained separately from adults, in accordance with international
standards for the administration of juvenile justice, and enabling incarcerated
and detained mothers to stay together with their dependent infants, if
appropriate beyond the age of 18 months;
10