On its visit to Tunisia, UN Committee for the Prevention of Torture reveals that it has monitored serious problems despite the remarkable progress

News briefing

Translated and edited by: Committee for Justice

Geneva: 7 April 2022

The UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) said Tunisia had made progress in preventing torture by creating a functional national monitoring body, but that serious problems remained to be addressed, such as police violence.

These statements came after the visit of experts of the SPT to Tunisia, from March 27 to April 2, 2022.

The SPT’s experts pointed out that the visit revealed serious issues of concern to the Subcommittee, including prison overcrowding, which prevents the separation of accused and convicted detainees, and continuing police violence due to the impunity of its perpetrators.

The SPT considered that the main element in the prevention of torture and ill-treatment is the establishment of a permanent constructive relationship with the States concerned and with their preventive mechanisms.

The SPT delegation was composed of Abdallah Ounnir (Morocco), Head of Delegation, Hamet Diakhate (Senegal), Marina Langfeldt (Germany) and Gnambi Garba Kodjo (Togo). The committee will inform Tunisia of its report, which will remain confidential until the government decides to publish it.

Under its mandate, the SPT visits all States parties to the Optional Protocol, making unannounced visits to places where people are deprived of their liberty. The SPT has so far visited more than 60 countries since 2007, when it began its preventive work.