The National Human Rights Committee of Qatar (NHRC) and the APT jointly organized a seminar on the rights of persons deprived of liberty in Qatar from 3 - 4 October. Around 40 representatives of authorities in charge of places of detention and of the NHRC participated in the event.
The seminar focused on the prohibition and prevention of torture in international law and provided an opportunity to share experience on prison standards. Participants also discussed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT). In the framework of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council Qatar has accepted a recommendation to examine the possibility to ratify OPCAT.
Preceeding the seminar, the APT provided a one-day training on detention monitoring to the staff of the NHRC. The seminar was opened by Maryam Al-Attia, Secretary General of NHRC. The following experts provided inputs: Nayef Alshamari from the NHRC, Nidal Jurdi from the Regional Office of OHCHR in Beirut, Wolfgang Heinz from the German Institute of Human Rights and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Europe and Esther Schaufelberger from the APT.
Press: Qatar urged to sign up to torture convention
Photos Courtesy of The Gulf Times