(21)
The Committee is concerned by the State party’s use of “diplomatic assurances”, or other kinds of guarantees,
assuring that a person will not be tortured if expelled, returned, transferred or extradited to another State. The
Committee is also concerned by the secrecy of such procedures including the absence of judicial scrutiny and the lack of
monitoring mechanisms put in place to assess if the assurances have been honoured (art. 3).
When determining the applicability of its non-refoulement obligations under article 3 of the Convention,
the State party should only rely on “diplomatic assurances” in regard to States which do not
systematically violate the Convention’s provisions, and after a thorough examination of the merits of
each individual case. The State party should establish and implement clear procedures for obtaining
such assurances, with adequate judicial mechanisms for review, and effective post-return monitoring
arrangements. The State party should also provide detailed information to the Committee on all cases
since 11 September 2001 where assurances have been provided.
(22)
The Committee, noting that detaining persons indefinitely without charge constitutes per se a violation of the
Convention, is concerned that detainees are held for protracted periods at Guantánamo Bay, without sufficient legal
safeguards and without judicial assessment of the justification for their detention (arts. 2, 3 and 16).
The State party should cease to detain any person at Guantánamo Bay and close this detention facility,
permit access by the detainees to judicial process or release them as soon as possible, ensuring that they
are not returned to any State where they could face a real risk of being tortured, in order to comply with
its obligations under the Convention.
(23)
The Committee is concerned that information, education and training provided to the State party’s
law-enforcement or military personnel are not adequate and do not focus on all provisions of the Convention, in
particular on the non-derogable nature of the prohibition of torture and the prevention of cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment or punishment (arts. 10 and 11).
The State party should ensure that education and training of all law-enforcement or military personnel,
are conducted on a regular basis, in particular for personnel involved in the interrogation of suspects.
This should include training on interrogation rules, instructions and methods, and specific training on
how to identify signs of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Such personnel should also
be instructed to report such incidents.
The State party should also regularly evaluate the training and education provided to its
law-enforcement and military personnel as well as ensure regular and independent monitoring of
their conduct.
(24)
The Committee is concerned that in 2002 the State party authorized the use of certain interrogation techniques
that have resulted in the death of some detainees during interrogation. The Committee also regrets that “confusing
interrogation rules” and techniques defined in vague and general terms, such as “stress positions”, have led to serious
abuses of detainees (arts. 11, 1, 2 and 16).
The State party should rescind any interrogation technique, including methods involving sexual
humiliation, “waterboarding”, “short shackling” and using dogs to induce fear, that constitutes torture
or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, in all places of detention under its de facto
effective control, in order to comply with its obligations under the Convention.
(25)
The Committee is concerned at allegations of impunity of some of the State party’s law-enforcement personnel
in respect of acts of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Committee notes the limited
investigation and lack of prosecution in respect of the allegations of torture perpetrated in areas 2 and 3 of the Chicago
Police Department (art. 12).
71
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