166. The Committee is concerned that the definition of the act of torture as specified by article 1 of the Convention is not incorporated in Jordanian legislation. Current Jordanian criminal law does not cover all cases of torture and ill treatment, as provided for in the Convention. 167. The Committee is deeply concerned that a number of allegations of torture have been made since Jordan acceded to the Convention. Such allegations appear to be rarely subjected to independent and partial investigations. The Committee is further concerned that during 1993 and 1994 political detainees were sentenced to death or imprisonment in trials before the State Security Court on the basis of confessions allegedly extracted after torture. 168. The Committee regrets that the headquarters of the General Intelligence Department has been recognized as an official prison, that the armed forces officers are granted the capacity of public prosecutors, that they have the capacity of detaining suspects incommunicado, whether military persons or civilians, until the end of their interrogation for periods of up to six months, and that detainees are deprived of access to judges, lawyers or doctors. 169. The Committee expresses concern about the continuing application of the death penalty, as well as corporal punishment, which could constitute in itself a violation in terms of the Convention. 170. The Committee is also concerned that there are allegations that individuals have been expelled from Jordan to countries where there are substantial grounds for believing that they would be in danger of being subjected to torture in contravention of article 3 of the Convention. 171. The Committee notes that there does not seem to be in the State party any comprehensive programme of education for members of the police and security forces, dealing with Jordan’s obligations under the Convention. Similarly, no specific educational programmes for medical personnel appears to be in place. These programmes would be useful, in particular given the fact that so many refugees from other countries are located in Jordan. D. Recommendations 172. The Committee recommends that the State party review its position concerning articles 21 and 22 of the Convention. 173. The Committee expects the State party to undertake the necessary legal measures to ensure the incorporation of the Convention in national legislation and to ensure its prompt and effective application. 174. The Committee urges the State party to consider making torture a specific criminal offence. In addition, it suggests that the State party further strengthen measures to protect the rights of detainees, especially their access to judges, lawyers and doctors of their choice. It also recommends that the State party promptly investigate allegations of torture and ill treatment and ensure that appropriate penalties are applied whenever such offences are committed; prevent the commission of such acts through efforts to ensure the stricter observance of regulations relating to the treatment of detainees and offenders; and reduce the length of preventive detention, taking into account its principle of presumption of innocence and the complexity of investigation. -24-