On 9 April 2019 the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights and the Federal Ministry for Constitutional Affairs, Reforms, Deregulation and Justice host a conference for the EU research project “Strategies and Programmes for De-radicalization and Risk Assessment“.
Judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU is based on the principle of mutual recognition and the approximation of laws, i.e. the establishment of common minimum standards. Mutual recognition is based on mutual trust which – as emphasised by the CJEU - does not mean "blind trust" and must not lead to a violation of the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.
On 12-13 February 2019, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights and the Helsinki Hungarian Committee hosted a two day Workshop in the framework of the Project “Strengthening the rights of persons suspected or accused in criminal proceedings – the role of National Human Rights Institutions”, implemented by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute in cooperation with the Helsinki
It can be seen from the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights that violations of the rights of accused persons occur in all EU Member States. In addition, the EU has an interest in promoting trust between EU Member States in order to facilitate mutual recognition of judicial decisions. Common minimum standards can contribute to this.
Inside Police Custody: Suspects´ rights at the investigative stage of the criminal process
On 14 December 2018, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights hosted a conference on "Inside Police Custody: Suspects´ rights at the investigative stage of the criminal process ".
Despite their universal and absolute prohibition, torture and other forms of ill-treatment remain a “global crisis” affecting the majority of States worldwide. At the same time, there is a lack of awareness about the problem. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture stated that we live in a time of “collective amnesia” where official narratives and public beliefs trivialise and even endorse torture in the name of security and the fight against terrorism, forgetting the suffering and damages it causes.
Numerous international and domestic actors are engaged in the fight against torture and ill-treatment through monitoring, research, advocacy, technical assistance, etc. However, there is insufficient access to information on the problem. Good practices and guidelines on prevention are not only inadequately documented, but also receive limited exposure. What is more, information about prevention work remain dispersed across several different sources and inadequately documented.
Moreover, the lack of coordination among the different actors lead to frequent duplications and missing synergies. The potential of internet-based technologies to strengthen the exchange and cooperation as well as providing effective support and learning opportunities needs to be explored further.
For these reasons, the Atlas of Torture website aims to empower organisations and individuals and strengthening the global fight against torture and ill-treatment. It will do so by:
Ultimately, the website will thus provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for researchers and practitioners to easily and freely access up-to-date information and strategies for the prevention of torture and ill-treatment.
The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights is looking for a volunteer to support the Team ‘Human Dignity and Public Security’. The volunteer will get an insight into and be involved in a number of projects on the prevention of torture and ill-treatment.
A big THANKS to all of you for your incredible support! Not only did we reach our funding goal but also we exceeded it.
Thanks also to our testimonials for sharing their words and ideas on the importance of a global cooperation platform; our partners HURIDOCS & LBG Open Innovation in Science Center, our Institute and anyone who contributed to our campaign.
Without all of you, we could not have made it!
Now, the work continues to bring the new Atlas of Torture to life.
Persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups of suspects in criminal proceedings. If they come into conflict with the law, they face a particularly high risk of not experiencing a fair trial. In many cases, their vulnerability due to their illness or disability is not identified in due time or not considered. Their procedural rights, particularly their right to information, their right to access a lawyer, and their right to medical assistance, in particular during deprivation of liberty, are often not adequately ensured.
The Handbook “Dignity at Trial”, which was elaborated during a two year pilot research project (2016-2018) assessing the implementation of the EC Recommendation on safeguards for vulnerable persons suspected or accused in criminal proceedings (2013/C 378/02) draws on broader involvement of professional stakeholders and persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities who have undergone criminal proceedings.
