Our country Celebrates World Day of the United Nations to Support Victims of Torture
On 26 June, our country on Sunday immortalized World Day of Support for Victims of Torture under the theme: “Prison conditions and the rights of people deprived of freedom in Mauritania”.
The President of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MNPT), Mr. Bekaye Ould Abdelmalek, stressed, that human dignity in general and the principle of the sanctity of the person against physical and psychological damage in particular is an unconditional universal principle that exists in all heavenly laws, primarily our religion.
Based on the principle of legal independence enjoyed by the MNPT, it would promote and maintain Mauritania’s human rights system in general and the rights of prisoners and persons particularly deprived of liberty.
On his part, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), Mr. Ahmed Salem Bouhebeini, explained that the Commission is an actor and assistance in determining public policies in the field of human rights, which constitutes and illuminates public opinion, including with regard to the prohibition of torture.
He adds also that Mauritania had recognized torture as a crime against humanity and had adopted a special law against torture and a mechanism for preventing torture, MNPT, whose preventive mission required a requirement, namely, a commitment to respect the procedures governing the arrest and treatment of detainees, enhanced monitoring of theoretical custody in places of detention and training programmes for all criminal justice actors.
On his part, the United Nations Coordinator, Mr. Marc Lucet,, stressed that torture was an offence under international law.
He said also that, the day was an occasion for the United Nations and civil society to advocate for victims of torture.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Justice, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society, the Head of the High Authority for Journalism and Visual Audio-visual, and the President of the National Observatory for Women and Girls.