Istanbul Protocol
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Geneva PROFESSIONAL TRAINING SERIES No. 8/Rev.1 Istanbul Protocol Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment UNITED NATIONS New York and Geneva, 2004 NOTE The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. * * * Material contained in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, pro- vided credit is given and a copy of the publication containing the reprinted material is sent to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. HR/P/PT/8/Rev.1 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.04.XIV.3 ISBN 92-1-154156-5 ISBN 92-1-116726-4 ISSN 1020-1688 Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Istanbul Protocol Submitted to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 9 August 1999 PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS Action for Torture Survivors (HRFT), Geneva Amnesty International, London Association for the Prevention of Torture, Geneva Behandlungszentrum für Folteropfer, Berlin British Medical Association (BMA), London Center for Research and Application of Philosophy and Human Rights, Hacettepe University, Ankara Center for the Study of Society and Medicine, Columbia University, New York Centre Georges Devereux, University of Paris VIII, Paris Committee against Torture, Geneva Danish Medical Association, Copenhagen Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, University of Colombo, Colombo Ethics Department, Dokuz Eylül Medical Faculty, Izmir, Turkey Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza German Medical Association, Berlin Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT), Ankara Human Rights Watch, New York Indian Medical Association and the IRCT, New Delhi Indochinese Psychiatric Clinic, Boston, United States of America Institute for Global Studies, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Unites States Instituto Latinoamericano de Salud Mental, Santiago International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva International Federation of Health and Human Rights Organizations, Amsterdam, The Netherlands International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), Copenhagen Johannes Wier Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, New York Physicians for Human Rights Israel, Tel Aviv Physicians for Human Rights Palestine, Gaza Physicians for Human Rights USA, Boston Program for the Prevention of Torture, Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, San José Society of Forensic Medicine Specialists, Istanbul, Turkey Special Rapporteur on Torture, Geneva Survivors International, San Francisco, United States The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), Minneapolis, United States The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, London The Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture, Cape Town, South Africa Turkish Medical Association, Ankara World Medical Association, Ferney-Voltaire, France iii CONTENTS Page Contributing authors and other participants.................................................................................. viii Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter Paragraphs III. RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL LEGAL STANDARDS................................................ 111-471 3 A. International humanitarian law.............................................................. 112-611 3 B. The United Nations................................................................................ 117-241 3 1. Legal obligations to prevent torture................................................ 10 4 2. United Nations bodies and mechanisms......................................... 111-241 5 C. Regional organizations .......................................................................... 125-461 7 1. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter- American Court of Human Rights ................................................. 126-321 7 2. The European Court of Human Rights........................................... 133-381 8 3. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.......................... 139-431 9 4. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights .............................. 144-461 9 D. The International Criminal Court .......................................................... 47 10 III. RELEVANT ETHICAL CODES .............................................................................. 148-731 11 A. Ethics of the legal profession................................................................. 149-501 11 B. Health-care ethics .................................................................................. 151-561 11 1. United Nations statements relevant to health professionals ........... 152-531 11 2. Statements from international professional bodies......................... 154-551 12 3. National codes of medical ethics.................................................... 56 12 C. Principles common to all codes of health-care ethics............................ 157-651 13 1. The duty to provide compassionate care ........................................ 158-621 13 2. Informed consent ............................................................................ 163-641 13 3. Confidentiality................................................................................ 65 14 D. Health professionals with dual obligations............................................ 166-731 14 1. Principles guiding all doctors with dual obligations ...................... 67 14 2. Dilemmas arising from dual obligations ........................................ 168-731 15 III. LEGAL INVESTIGATION OF TORTURE ................................................................. 174-119 17 A. Purposes of an investigation into torture ............................................... 77 17 B. Principes on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ..... 178-841 17 C. Procedures of a torture investigation..................................................... 185-106 18 1. Determination of the appropriate investigative body ..................... 185-871 18 2. Interviewing the alleged victim and other witnesses...................... 88-101 19 3. Securing and obtaining physical evidence...................................... 102-103 21 4. Medical evidence............................................................................ 104-105 22 5. Photography.................................................................................... 106 22 D. Commission of inquiry .......................................................................... 107-119 22 1. Defining the scope of the inquiry ................................................... 107 22 2. The power of the commission ........................................................ 108 23 3. Membership criteria........................................................................ 109-110 23 4. The commission’s staff................................................................... 111 23 v Chapter Paragraphs Page 55. Protection of witnesses ................................................................. 112 23 56. Proceedings................................................................................... 113 23 57. Notice of inquiry........................................................................... 114 23 58. Receipt of evidence ...................................................................... 115 23 59. Rights of parties............................................................................ 116 24 10. Evaluation of evidence ................................................................. 117 24 11. Report of the commission............................................................. 118-119 24 IV. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTERVIEWS.................................................... 120-160 25 A. Purpose of inquiry, examination and documentation ............................ 121-122 25 B. Procedural safeguards with respect to detainees ................................... 123-126 25 C. Official visits to detention centres ......................................................... 127-134 26 D. Techniques of questioning ..................................................................... 135 27 E. Documenting the background................................................................ 136-141 27 1. Psychosocial history and pre-arrest ................................................ 136 27 2. Summary of detention and abuse.................................................... 137 27 3. Circumstances of detention ............................................................ 138 28 4. Place and conditions of detention................................................... 139 28 5. Methods of torture and ill-treatment............................................... 140-141 28 F. Assessment of the background .............................................................