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UN / SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
STORY: UN / SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
TRT: 2. 49
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 OCTOBER 2013, NEW YOCK, UNITED STATES
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
2. Wide shot, rapporteurs take their seat
3. Cutaway, presser
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan E. Mendez, Special Rapporteur on torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, United Nations:
“Of course nowadays the violations are violations of the laws of war and even crimes against humanity to the extent that they create pain and suffering that crosses the line into cruel and degrading treatment or even torture and unfortunately we receive many, many cases and we try to work on them on dialogue with the Syrian Government and with the opposition as much as we can. I can’t say we get a whole lot of positive feed back from our interlocutors on that but we are trying to do our best.”
5. Cutaway, presser
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan E. Mendez, Special Rapporteur on torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, United Nations:
“Unfortunately there has been some setback. In India that had not executed anybody for something like 20 years has resumed the death penalty and is imposing it in new cases. We understand that it’s in the context of crimes that really shake the conscience of the community and I would say of human kind like the cases of rape that we are familiar with, still I think the temptation to bring back the death penalty should not be followed.”
7. Cutaway, presser
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan E. Mendez, Special Rapporteur on torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, United Nations:
“The Pentagon had invited me as they had invited back in 2004 they had invited my predecessor, but on conditions that amount to a guided tour and without allowing us to talk to any inmates. So I am insisting with the Pentagon and with the US government on going to Guantanamo, but of course I would be glad if the close down Guantanamo and don’t have to go.”
9. Cutaway, presser
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan E. Mendez, Special Rapporteur on torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, United Nations:
“My main concern is the use of solitary confinement. I want to see those facilities and I want to be able to talk to people who are in isolation. I want to familiarize myself as to who is put in isolation and why and under what guarantees of due process and of medical examination, and officially my latest request to the State department is dated May 18th and is pending since then.”
11. Wide shot, presser ends
Juan E. Mendez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment briefed reporters Tuesday at United Nations headquarters.
On torture in Syria, Mendez said that there were violations of the laws of war as well as crimes against humanity and degrading treatment and torture, and that he receives many cases that his office tries to work on with the Syrian Government and the opposition, but he said “I can’t say we get a whole lot of positive feed back from our interlocutors on that but we are trying to do our best.”
Ont the death penalty, while noting since his report last year there had been changes, with some states abolishing it all together. He said that "unfortunately" there had been some setbacks giving the example of India which had not executed anyone for nearly 20 years had resumed the death penalty and was imposing it in new cases.
Regarding the situation with the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Mendez said that the Pentagon had invited him but on conditions that amounted to “a guided tour” without permission to talk to any inmates, so, he said “I am insisting with the Pentagon and with the US government on going to Guantanamo, but of course I would be glad if the close down Guantanamo and don’t have to go.”
Regarding the issue of solitary confinement in US prisons, specifically the ADX prison in Colorado and state prisons in California, New York and Pennsylvania he said that his main concern was the use of solitary confinement there, and that he wanted to see those facilities and talk to inmates who were in isolation.
He said, “I want to familiarize myself as to who is put in isolation and why and under what guarantees of due process and of medical examination, and officially my latest request to the State department is dated May 18th and is pending since then.”
The UN Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 1985/33, decided to appoint an expert, a special rapporteur, to examine questions relevant to torture. The mandate was extended for 3 years by Human Rights Council resolution 8/8 in June 2008.
It covers all countries, irrespective of whether a State has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The mandate comprises three main activities:
1) transmitting urgent appeals to States with regard to individuals reported to be at risk of torture, as well as communications on past alleged cases of torture;
2) undertaking fact-finding country visits; and
3) submitting annual reports on activities, the mandate and methods of work to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.
Unlike the complaints mechanisms of the human rights treaty monitoring bodies, the Special Rapporteur does not require the exhaustion of domestic remedies to act. When the facts in question come within the scope of more than one mandate established by the Commission, the Special Rapporteur may decide to approach other thematic mechanisms and country rapporteurs with a view to sending joint communications or seeking joint missions.
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