Argentina: CAT flags concerns over prison overcrowding and excessive use of force against protesters
During the 83rd Session of the Committee Against Torture (CAT), on Wednesday, 12 November, and Thursday, 13th November 2025, the CAT reviewed the 7th periodic report of Argentina under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The country rapporteurs were Mr. Todd Buchwald and Mr. Jorge Contesse.
The Argentinian delegation was led by Dr. Alberto Baños, Undersecretary for Human Rights
Main Issues Discussed
The Committee expressed deep concern over Argentina’s critical prison overcrowding and widespread use of pre-trial detention. Experts highlighted that many people are held long-term in police stations - meant only for short stays - where they reportedly sleep in bathrooms, face unsanitary conditions, insufficient food, no bedding, limited family contact, and no outdoor access. It also noted reports of institutionalised and systematic violence against detainees during arrest and in police stations.
A central concern was the “anti-picketing” resolution, which empowers police to respond forcefully to street blockades, even peaceful ones. Numerous demonstrations since its adoption have seen police violence, including against journalists and protesters, with reports of over 1,500 victims, raising serious concerns over necessity, proportionality, and oversight.
The CAT also flagged signs of backsliding in Argentina’s broader human-rights commitments, including the downgrading of the Secretariat for Human Rights, the use of executive decrees to regulate areas affecting fundamental rights and weakening of independent oversight bodies. It stressed the need for independent investigations, noting concerns that acts of torture are often classified as lesser offenses and that victims and witnesses fear reprisals, underscoring the need for stronger protections
In response to criticism by the State delegation, which sought to delegitimise and dismiss information provided by NGOs it labelled as hostile, the Committee reiterated its full independence and emphasised its role in ensuring the implementation of the Convention by the State party.
The CAT’s recommendations are available here.
Follow-up recommendations:
The State party should provide information by 28 November 2026 on the implementation of recommendations regarding:
- Prolonged detention in police stations
- The national system for the prevention of torture
- The excessive use of force in the context of social protest
- Investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment and impunity
Watch here the video recordings (part one and part two), of the dialogue with the CAT.
Read our alternatives reports (here, here, here and here) to the CAT.