CAT/C/QAT/CO/2 ensure that the crime of torture and ill-treatment is punishable by appropriate penalties that take into account their grave nature, as set out in article 4, paragraph 2, of the Convention. Reservations and declarations under articles 21 and 22 of the Convention 9. While noting that the State party has taken steps to withdraw its reservations to articles 21 and 22 of the Convention, the Committee is concerned that it has not yet accepted the Committee’s competence under those articles. The State party also seeks to retain a vague and extremely broad reservation to articles 1 and 16 of the Convention insofar as they are incompatible with the precepts of Islamic law and the Islamic religion. The Committee considers that the State party should face few obstacles in withdrawing its reservation in view of the fact that the State party has accepted and incorporated into domestic law the definition of torture in article 1 of the Convention, as noted in paragraph 8 of the present concluding observations. While noting the statement made by the State party’s delegation that the reservation to the Convention will not impede the full enjoyment of all the rights guaranteed in it, the Committee is concerned that the general and imprecise nature of the reservation allows courts and governmental and other officials to negate many of the Convention’s provisions and this raises serious concerns as to its compatibility with the object and purpose of the Convention. The State party should consider withdrawing the reservation so as to ensure it is in compliance with the requirements of the Convention. The Committee recommends that the State party consider making the declarations under articles 21 and 22 of the Convention. Fundamental legal safeguards 10. While noting that article 39 of the Constitution and articles 40, 112 and 113 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provide some legal safeguards to detainees, the Committee is concerned that these provisions are not always respected in practice, in particular for noncitizens, and do not cover all fundamental safeguards required by the Convention, in particular the right to have an independent medical examination upon deprivation of liberty. The Committee also expresses its concern at the lack of information on detention registers as well as the lack of monitoring of the implementation of safeguards, in particular given that the State party stated that it had documented no cases in which the authorities had failed to properly register detainees during the reporting period. While noting the provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure requiring persons to be charged or released within 48 hours, the Committee remains concerned that detention without charge may be extended by the Attorney General for 16 days. Of further concern are reports on persons detained without charge or trial, inter alia, the case of Mohamed Farouk al Mahdi, undertaken by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (A/HRC/WGAD/2010/25) (arts. 2 and 16). The State party should promptly take effective measures to ensure that all detainees, including non-citizens, are afforded, in practice, all fundamental legal safeguards from the very outset of detention, including the rights to promptly receive independent legal assistance and a medical examination by an independent doctor, contact relatives, and appear before a judge within a time limit in accordance with international standards. The State party should also take steps to ensure effective monitoring of the adherence of all personnel to the laws governing safeguards, and discipline or prosecute those who fail to provide them to persons deprived of their liberty as required by law. The State party should ensure that all detainees, including minors, are included on a central register. The State party is encouraged to introduce systematic video and audio monitoring and recording of all interrogations, in all 3