Switzerland
22.08.11

Dick Marty appointed new Vice-President of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)





DickMarty appointednew Vice-President of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)




Geneva,22August 2011.




TheWorld Organisation Against Torture (OMCT),the principal global coalition of anti-torture organizations, haselected Swiss Senator Dick Marty as one of its Vice Presidents of theOrganisation.


Weare delighted to have Dick Marty joining the Executive Council of theOMCT. His expertise, credibility and courage in the fight againsttorture and impunity have been truly exemplary and will be a greatasset not only for the OMCT but for the global movement againsttorture,” said Yves Berthelot, OMCT President in a comment releasedtoday.


DickMarty, a former public prosecutor is a member of the SwissParliament, and is a member and former president of the legal andhuman rights committee of the Council of Europe ParliamentaryAssembly, in which capacity he conducted key inquiries on humanrights violations in Kosovo, the Russian Federation and agroundbreaking investigation into torture and disappearances throughthe US led extra-ordinary rendition and secret detention policies.


Iam convinced that it is time for renewed global efforts to restorethe absolute prohibition of torture, cruel and inhuman or degradingtreatment or punishment. We need to put in place effective safeguardsand have to stop the scourge of impunity persisting in many parts ofthe world. Without accountability we cannot prevent torture in thefuture”, said Dick Marty at the occasion of his nomination as VicePresident of the World Organisation Against Torture.





Forfurther information please contact:


MrGeraldStaberock, Deputy Secretary General, OMCT, + 41 22 809 49 39 or +4122 809 49 23, (gs@omct.org)