Since obtaining observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) in 1995, the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) has maintained a close and impactful partnership with the ACHPR.
In October 2024, APT took part in the 81st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR, held in Banjul. During the session, our new Secretary General, Nicole Hogg, engaged with key partners, including Hon. Remy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson of the ACHPR, and Hon. Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, Chairperson of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA). She also met with Hon. Commissioner Manuela Teresa, Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention, and Policing in Africa, and Hon. Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, as well as a number of national APT partners.
“It was important to me, in my first months as Secretary General, to attend this session and learn more about the priorities and challenges faced by some of the APT’s main partners in Africa,” said Nicole Hogg. “I was struck by their indelible commitment to improving human rights for all, including women and people deprived of their liberty. It was a very rich experience.”
Promoting the Méndez Principles
On October 18, APT collaborated with the ACHPR’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA) and the Africa Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) to host a panel on the Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering, known as the 'Méndez Principles.' Named after Juan Méndez, former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, these principles were launched in 2021 in recognition that torture most often occurs in the initial hours of detention, especially during interviews. They serve as a framework to prevent torture and ill-treatment in interviews and investigations. In 2022, the ACHPR endorsed the Méndez Principles through a resolution, acknowledging their relevance in the African context.
The panel showcased ongoing initiatives between the CPTA and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to improve police interviewing practices across Southern Africa. “The Méndez Principles are actually crucial in policing for various reasons, which amongst others, really includes that there is obviously compliance of human rights by all law enforcement agencies. The interviews will be done or conducted in a manner that aligns to international standards,” stated Ms. Thanyani Gumede, Senior Officer at SADC. She provided insight into a needs assessment methodology under development to reinforce human rights safeguards during police interviews across 16 Southern African countries.
Global Report on Women in Prison
On October 20, in collaboration with the ACHPR’s Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention, and Policing in Africa, APT hosted another significant panel, which featured representatives from National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) in Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa, as well as a government representative from Cabo Verde.
This panel highlighted preliminary findings from a global report on women in prison that APT is preparing in collaboration with NPMs from 46 countries, including ten from Africa. Discussions covered the specific risks and needs faced by women in prison, noting a rise in female incarceration, often for non-violent, drug-related offenses. Contributing factors include poverty and systemic discrimination.
Though women represent a small segment of the global prison population, their numbers have grown sharply. In Africa, women comprise 3.3% of prisoners, with their numbers increasing by 55.5% since 2000. In countries studied, women make up 2-8% of the prison population, with over a third awaiting trial, and in some cases, more than half.
The panel discussed alternative measures to detention to address excessive pre-trial detention and incarceration. "In recent years, there have been important efforts to increase the use of alternatives measures to detention for women in contact with the criminal justice system, in particular when it comes to pregnant women and women with young children; however in many cases alternatives are still underused,” noted Veronica Filippeschi, Senior Advisor for Vulnerabilities and Policy at APT.
The report will feature individual country analyses and a global overview, with plans for a formal launch by the end of this year.
APT reaffirms its role as a key partner in the ACHPR’s efforts to prevent torture and uphold human rights across Africa.
