Strasbourg, 30/10/10 – "Despite a clear and absolute ban of torture in international and national laws, detainees are exposed or subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment in many European states. A solid underpinning of this legal requirement is now needed more than ever", said Commissioner Hammarberg today at the 20th Anniversary Conference of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey.
"Governments must make clear that nothing but zero tolerance towards such practices is acceptable. Each government should put in place an effective system of permanent and independent monitoring of all places where people are held involuntarily in order to prevent all forms of ill-treatment and set up effective police complaint mechanisms with a view to sanctioning unlawful acts and to ensure that no impunity may occur. Police and security staff must be instructed and systematically trained in lawful methods of interrogations."
The Commissioner further recommended facilitating transparent public debates on major human rights issues, such as freedom from torture, as part of the systematic work for