In May 2017, the APT organised a symposium to discuss the use of procedural safeguards against torture and other forms of ill-treatment in the first hours of police custody.
Specifically, the experts were invited to examine key safeguards that apply in the first hours of police custody and explore the elements essential to effectively preventing the risk of abuse. They were also invited to consider common challenges and offer solutions, and to propose practical ways forward for actors to better implement safeguards that reduce the risk of abuse for persons in police custody.
“Our goal is ambitious: To identify procedural guarantees that best protect persons in the first hours of police custody and deconstruct their effective application, so that practical, novel, and cost-effective solutions can be shared between countries and partners.”
Mark Thomson, APT Secretary General.
The Symposium brought together experts from around the world, from countries at various stages of UNCAT implementation and with varied experiences and diverse challenges in the implementation of safeguards. The advice and views heard during the Symposium contribute a rich narrative to the current discussions around these issues, and should inspire other countries to consider how to better implement safeguards as effective means of preventing torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
With the generous support of the République et Canton de Genève
