United Nations Human Rights Council 40th session (25 February – 22 March 2019) - Statement delivered by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)

United Nations Human Rights Council

40th session (25 February – 22 March 2019)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on torture andother cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and with the SpecialRapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders

Statement delivered by the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT)

Thank you,Mr. President.

OMCT would like to thank Mr. Melzer and Mr. Forst for their reports.

We stand by Mr. Melzer’s view that corruptionis one of the root causes of torture in many countries. In prisons we visitedacross the globe, including recently in the Philippines, Paraguay, Mexicoand Togo, corruption is widespread and is too often the only means fordetainees to buy a little dignity and protection from torture andill-treatment. In Bangladesh, individuals who refuse or cannot afford topay bribes to the police are systematically subjected to torture orill-treatment.

We are alarmed by the lack of protection and safety ofthose exposing corruption and impunity. In Guatemala, the ensuingintimidation and reprisals against those who have cooperated with the CICIG inemblematic cases of corruption, are particularly troubling and are endangeringdecades of struggle for truth and justice. In the DRC, many HRDs are victims oftorture and ill-treatment for denouncing bribery in the mining sector involvingextractive companies. This is the case, for example, of Pascal Kabungulu whowas tortured and killed for exposing cases of corruption in South Kivu. Elevenyears later, his family has still not obtained justice.

Mr. Melzer, could you give specificexamples of countries where you observed the patterns you described in your report?How do you plan to follow up and to integrate this approach in your assessmentof prison conditions in the countries you visit? Could you confirm whether follow-upvisits, including to Turkey, have already been scheduled?

We echo Mr. Forst’s concerns over the violentsetback that women human rights defenders are facing worldwide. We areparticularly worried by the widespread arrests of female activists in SaudiArabia, where dozens of them remain unjustly detained. Mr. Forst,what measures should UN member States take to guarantee that WHRDs areprotected and allowed to do their work free from fear, threats, harassment andviolence?

OMCT strongly supports the recommendations of yourmission report on Honduras where defending human rights remainsa high-risk activity due to the high level of violence and the constantcriminalisation of HRDs. In 2018, three years after the assassination of BerthaCaceres, there were at least 1782 attacks against HRDs including 9assassinations, 43 cases of torture/ill-treatment and 131 cases ofcriminalisation.

We are particularly concerned about the scale ofattacks against environmental rights defenders in the country as well as in Myanmar,Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico,Peru, the Philippines, Russia, and Thailand. Wetherefore call on member and observer States of the Council to worktowards the adoption of a strong resolution on environmental rights defenders,which would inter alia highlight the need for their protection fromharassment and attacks and urge States to hold those responsible toaccount.