UN experts urge Afghanistan’s new rulers to prohibit torture ‘in any circumstances’

The UN Subcommittee connected Prevention of Torture (SPT) drew peculiar attraction to the provisions of the Convention and of its Optional Protocol (OPCAT).

Noting that Afghanistan has entered into “a precise challenging caller section of powerfulness transition”, the SPT reminded successful a statement that torture is “absolutely prohibited astatine each times and nether each circumstances”.

Torture oregon different cruel, inhuman, and degrading attraction cannot beryllium justified successful immoderate situation, beryllium it authorities of war, interior governmental instability oregon nationalist emergency, they underscored.

Moreover, the Afghan authorities indispensable support everyone against torture and ill-treatment, “regardless of their taste background, spiritual belief, oregon governmental affiliation”, the SPT added.

Denied feedom 

The UN Subcomittee expressed peculiar interest implicit the concern of radical deprived of liberty on with the conditions of wherever they are held, including prisons, constabulary stations and different detention facilities arsenic good arsenic psychiatric and societal payment institutions.

They shone a spotlight connected value of the enactment of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and its National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), a nationalist and autarkic assemblage acceptable up to sojourn places of deprivation of liberty with the nonsubjective of torture prevention, and its important relation successful the country of extortion and promotion of quality rights.

“We telephone upon the Afghan authorities to guarantee the information and information of each members and unit of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and its NPM”, the connection continued.

“They are entitled to extortion from immoderate reprisals and to beryllium capable to proceed their preventive work, with the enactment of the authorities successful implementing the objectives of the Convention against Torture and its Protocol”, which Afghanistan ratified successful 1987 and 2018 respectively.

In conclusion, the SPT upheld its availability to cooperate with the authorities successful implementing the Optional Protocol’s provisions and assisting the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and its NPM successful strengthening the instauration and its preventive activities, including by visiting holding places and providing recommendations to applicable authorities connected preventing torture and ill-treatment.

Humanitarian flights returning

Meanwhile, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists astatine a regular media briefing that the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operated by the World Food Programme (WFP) is resuming its flights to alteration 160 humanitarian organizations to proceed their life-saving activities passim the country’s provinces.

Currently, the aerial rider work links Islamabad to Mazar-i-Sharif and Kandahar, with 3 flights already having taken spot to Mazar-i-Sharif since 29 August.

WFP says that each efforts are being made to measurement up operations arsenic soon arsenic imaginable and summation the fig of flown-to destinations successful Afghanistan.

In addition, a cargo airbridge is being established to transport non-food items, specified arsenic aesculapian and different exigency supplies to wherever they are needed the most.

“UNHAS’ home rider work requires $18 cardinal and $12 cardinal is required for the cargo airbridge. Both services volition beryllium utilized by the full humanitarian community”, said Mr. Dujarric.  

WFP

In the archetypal six months of 2021, WFP provided assistance to 5.5 cardinal radical successful Afghanistan.