National torture prevention bodies from Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia have issued a joint statement, to commemorate the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June).
In the statement, the National Preventive Mechanisms of the South East Europe (SEE) Network stress the need for support of the victims of torture:
“By disclosing torture committed by public/state employees we increase the responsibility of the society for efficient and continuous support of the victims of torture as well as we undertake measures for its reduction in the future.
The visits conducted by the National Preventive Mechanisms are only a part of the mosaic of activities undertaken with aim to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The existence of an overall strategy for prevention of torture requires an integral access which in itself contains: a legal framework which forbids torture, efficient implementation of that framework, as well as existence of adequate mechanisms that monitor the implementation of national and international standards.”
The statement was launched at the second meeting of the regional NPM network, hosted by the Macedonian NPM. Participants from the network, as well as a member of the Polish NPM, the CPT and the APT, discussed and exchanged experiences on a variety of issues ranging from the follow up and implementation of recommendations to budgeting and cooperation with NGOs and external experts.
The event was funded and organised by the Technical Assistance Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) of the European Commission
