Syria: Amnesty International welcomes Syria's accession to the UN Convention Against Torture

Amnesty International welcomes Syria's accession to the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) as a significant step forward for the promotion and protection of human rights in Syria.

The accession occurred on 19 August.

Amnesty International looks forward to Syria's reviewing of its legislation and practices in line with the requirements of the Convention, and ensuring that all its provisions are fully implemented.

The organization urges Syria to lift its declaration to opt out of the confidential inquiry procedure. Amnesty International also calls upon Syria to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention, as a means both of further strengthening its commitment to the abolition and prevention of torture and ill-treatment and of establishing mechanisms that would assist the government in achieving such abolition and prevention.

Background

Amnesty International has documented 38 different types of torture and ill-treatment used against detainees in prisons and detention centres in Syria. It is believed that most of these forms of torture and ill-treatment continue to be used, and indeed that new methods are being used.

Syria in the AI Report 2004: http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maacGj5abaerFbb0hPub/