This Thursday, 1 November, the National Pastoral Care of Brazil and APT will raise before the IACHR their concerns about the recurrent and systematic violations of the human rights of persons in detention in the country and the omission by the State to take effective measures to prevent acts of torture and ill-treatment.
Brazil ratified the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) in 2007 but has not yet established its National Preventive Mechanism to carry out regular visits to places of detention - an international obligation overdue since 2008. A bill of law is currently under revision by the House of Representatives which will create a national system to prevent torture, including the establishment of a new body to regularly monitor all places of detention in the country. However, such bill does not ensure an independent selection process of the members of the mechanism as required by the OPCAT. The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture states in its report to Brazil that it remains concerned about the method for selecting NPM members and calls for an open, transparent and inclusive process for their selection and appointment.
The hearing will take place at 10:15 am (Eastern time) and is webcast live on the website of the IACHR.
Segundo a Pastoral Carcerária, o Brasil tem usado sistematicamente o confinamento solitário em unidades de segurança máxima como Regime Diferencial Disciplinado e Penitenciárias Federais para isolar presos permanentemente, levando à deterioração de sua saúde mental.
Além disso, a revista vexatória e invasiva em familiares de preso continua como prática corriqueira na maioria das unidades prisionais do país.
Por fim, as entidades denunciaram a tortura e a falta de medidas eficazes para coibi-la. A criação do Mecanismo Preventivo Nacional, obrigação assumida pelo Brasil perante a comunidade internacional há mais de cinco anos, permanece no papel.