55.
Recalling
the
Committee’s
previous
(CAT/C/BLR/CO/4, para. 27), the State party should:
concluding
observations
(a)
Urgently consider the establishment of a moratorium on executions, with
a view to abolishing the death penalty, commute death sentences to prison sentences,
and consider ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights;
(b)
Bring prison conditions for individuals sentenced to death into compliance
with international human rights standards;
(c)
Undertake a comprehensive review of all cases in which capital
punishment has been handed down, suspend the judgment in any case involving
allegations that a defendant’s confessions was obtained through torture, and ensure
that any such claims are effectively and promptly investigated;
(d)
Provide prompt notification to relatives about the date and place of any
execution pending the urgent establishment of a moratorium on executions;
(e)
Implement fully the adopted views of the Human Rights Committee in the
cases of Vasily Yuzepchuk, Pavel Selyun, Oleg Grishkovtsov, Andrei Burdyko, Lyubov
Kovaleva and Svetlana Zhuk.
Training
56.
The Committee regrets the lack of relevant information provided by the State party
on whether it provides targeted training for medical and law enforcement personnel, security
and prison officials, judicial officials and others involved with custody, interrogation or
treatment of persons under State or official control on matters related to the prohibition of
torture and other ill-treatment, or on its efforts to evaluate and assess the training already
being provided (art. 10).
57.
The State party should provide mandatory training on the provisions of the
Convention and the absolute prohibition of torture for public officials charged with the
various
functions
enumerated
in
article
10
of
the
Convention;
introduce training programmes on non-coercive investigation techniques; and ensure
that the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Istanbul Protocol)
is made an essential part of the training of all medical professionals and other public
officials working with persons deprived of their liberty. Such training should involve
the study of specific cases and should also focus on sexual and gender-specific violence;
and develop methodologies to assess the impact of these training programs.
Redress, including compensation and rehabilitation
58.
The Committee notes with regret that the State party provided it with no information
concerning the means of redress, including compensation and rehabilitation, provided to
victims of torture or ill-treatment. The Committee is further concerned at the State party’s
lack of capacity to provide rehabilitation to victims of torture (arts. 2, 4, 12, 14 and 16).
59.
The Committee, recalling its general comment No. 3, urges the State party to
ensure that all victims of torture and ill-treatment, including relatives of the
disappeared individuals, obtain redress, including adequate compensation and
rehabilitation, including in cases in which the perpetrator has not been identified or
convicted of a crime.
Follow-up procedure
60.
The Committee requests the State party to provide, by 18 May 2019, follow-up
information in response to the Committee’s recommendations relating to fundamental legal
safeguards, effective investigation of allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and the situation
human rights defenders (see paras. 8, 16 and 47 above). In the same context, the State party
is invited to inform the Committee about its plans for implementing within the coming
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