Rwanda: Improve linkage amongst the UN Treaty Bodies reviews of States
Rwanda: Review by the Committee Against Torture – Compilation of the recommendations of the Human Rights Committee
On 22 – 24 November 2017, Rwanda will be reviewed by the Committee Against Torture (CAT).
This review will echo the recent review done by the Human Rights Committee (HR Ctte) in March 2016. In order to ensure that appropriate links are made between the HR Ctte’s findings and the upcoming CAT review, the CCPR-Centre prepared an analysis of the HR Ctte review. This analysis is based on the dialogue held with the delegation of Rwanda and the HR Ctte’s recommendations.
Interestingly, several concerns made by the HR Ctte of the review are also relevant for the assessment of the implementation of the Convention Against Torture.
The HR Ctte had received reports of the use of torture and ill-treatment, including beatings, electric shocks and techniques such as sensory deprivation and limitation of breathing, in a number of detention facilities in Rwanda. Moreover, the HR Ctte was very concerned about detention: degrading prison conditions, unlawful deprivation of liberty and many other issues were noted by the members.
Other concerns include cases of enforced disappearance and the National Human Rights Commission, but also gender-based violence and access to abortion, human trafficking, the independence of the judiciary, corporal punishment, and intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders.
"The necessity to develop coherence and strong links between the concerns of the UN Treaty Bodies is a field where the CCPR Centre will engage more systematically in the future."
