. The building of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. UN expert: Syrian authorities must take action against torture and ill-treatment of detainees International Law
Syria must implement the interim measures ordered by the International Court of Justice and make efforts to eradicate all forms of torture and ill-treatment in the country, a UN expert said today.
“I am alarmed by reports indicating that torture remains widespread in Syria,” said Alice Jill Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment.
“This is despite a very clear directive from the International Court of Justice to put an immediate end to torture. More than six months have passed and there is no sign that the country is addressing the problem of torture,” Edwards said.
On November 16, 2023, the International Court of Justice announced urgent interim measures in in relation to the Syrian Arab Republic, which are mandatory: take all necessary measures to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The judges also ordered the country’s government to ensure that no one under its control can commit such acts and that evidence related to allegations of torture is preserved.
“ According to available information, torture continues to be widely practiced with flagrant disregard for the lives and physical and psychological health of thousands of people held in detention centers run by the Syrian government,” the human rights activist said.
The International Court of Justice’s decision came after Canada and the Netherlands filed a joint application against Syria over alleged violations of the UN Convention against Torture. All three States are parties to it.
The application, which is still pending before the International Court of Justice, noted numerous allegations of inhumane conditions in places of detention, torture and cruelty. treatment of detainees, including sexual torture and child abuse. In addition, violations included the use of chemical weapons, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries.
Since March 2011, the UN Special Rapporteurs on the question of torture have transmitted approximately 30 reports to the Syrian government, containing allegations of torture and related ill-treatment. To date, the Syrian government has responded to eight of these communications.
Special rapporteurs are part of the so-called “special procedures” of the Human Rights Council. They are not UN employees and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and act in an individual capacity.
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