The UN Committee Against Torture has published its findings on the rights record of countries it examined during its latest session from 11 November to 6 December 2019: Burkina Faso, Cyprus, Latvia, Niger, Portugal and Uzbekistan.

The countries above are among the 169 States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and are required to undergo regular reviews by the Committee of 10 independent international experts. 

The findings, officially termed concluding observations, contain positive aspects of the respective State’s implementation of the Convention, as well as main matters of concern and recommendations. The findings are now available online on the session webpage. Some of the key findings include Uzbekistan.

 The Committee commends a variety of legal and policy changes since 2016, particularly the release of a number of human rights defenders and journalists from detention, including many named in the Committee’s 2013 concluding observations. It, however, remains concerned by reports of widespread, routine torture, lack of effective investigations, low numbers of prosecutions, and reported obstacles to victims obtaining redress. Further, while welcoming the closure of the Jaslyk prison as a federal detention facility, the Committee is concerned it has been transferred to the control of regional authorities, and recommends the prison be permanently closed, no longer used for any detention by any authority in the State.

The Committee will present the findings in a press conference today in Press Room 1 of Palais des Nations at 12h30. Committee members will be available after the press conference for interviews.

The Committee Against Torture will next meet from 20 April to 15 May 2020 to review Cuba, Iceland, Kenya, Montenegro, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay. More information is available on the webpage for the upcoming session.