CAT/C/NOR/CO/6-7
regard to unhealthy sanitary conditions and overcrowding. Furthermore, the Committee
notes with concern the increased numbers of detainees at Trandum, as well as the few cases
of excessively long duration of detention (arts. 10, 11 and 16).
The State party should ensure that persons are held at Trandum only according to the
law and only for the duration prescribed by law. The State party should ensure that
all detention conditions are in total conformity with international standards, including
the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, in
particular with regard to the sanitary conditions and overcrowding.
Training on the prohibition against torture and ill-treatment
18.
While noting that different training programmes for law enforcement personnel on
the provisions of the Convention, including the prohibition of torture, are systematically
held, the Committee regrets that there is no available information on the impact of trainings
on reducing incidents of excessive use of force and ill-treatment. The Committee regrets
that the training is too theoretical, providing little knowledge of the practical use of human
rights provisions. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of systematic training of
health personnel on the Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Istanbul Protocol)
(art. 10).
The State party should ensure that educational programmes and practical training for
law enforcement personnel on the provisions of the Convention, including on the
limitations on the use of force and on the principles of non-discrimination,
proportionality and last resort to force, are regularly provided. Furthermore, the
State party should develop and implement a methodology to assess the effectiveness
and impact of relevant training programmes on the incidence of cases of torture,
excessive use of force and ill-treatment. In addition, the State party should provide
systematic, thorough and practical training in the application of the Istanbul Protocol
to all relevant health personnel.
Use of restraints and arrest techniques
19. In light of the case concerning Mr. Eugene Obiora, who died in 2006 after police
officers arrested him, the Committee notes the criticisms of the Parliamentary Ombudsman
on the State party’s insufficient compliance with its obligations in respect of the use of
restraints exercised on a person, and on the lack of appropriate knowledge concerning arrest
techniques and the absence of continued training (arts. 2, 10, 11 and 16).
The State party should take immediate steps to improve and update the arrest
techniques, in order to avoid such cases as the death of Mr. Obiora, and should
improve its training programmes in order to keep the law enforcement officers
updated on the appropriate arrest techniques.
Prompt, effective and impartial investigations
20.
The Committee notes that the State party has taken measures to further improve the
handling of complaints against the police concerning acts of ill-treatment and the
investigation of relevant allegations. Nevertheless, the Committee remains concerned about
allegations concerning violations of the Convention committed by law enforcement
officials, including allegations relating to discriminatory excessive use of violence, and
about the lack of impartiality of subsequent investigations (arts. 12 and 13).
The State party should closely monitor the effectiveness of the new procedures for the
investigation of alleged violations of the Convention committed by law enforcement
officials, in particular those in which discriminatory treatment based on ethnicity is
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