The National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, which functions as transitory parliament, met in a plenary session on 3 October 2013, to hold a general debate on the draft law to establish a National Authority for the Prevention of Torture mandated to visit all places of deprivation of liberty to prevent torture and ill-treatment.
The discussion of the law by article and the final vote are expected for Tuesday, 8 October 2013. By voting the law, Tunisia will implement the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), ratified shortly after the ousting of former President Ben Ali.
With the designation of the National Authority for the Prevention of Torture, Tunisia will be the first State in North Africa and the Middle East to create a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).
The draft law has been negotiated in a participatory process involving experts from civil society and the public administration and drawing on international best practices. More information on the process is available on APT’s OPCAT Database.
