Joint Press Statement from Amnesty International (AI), Association for
the Prevention of Torture (APT), International Federation of Action by
Christians for the Abolition of Torture (FIACAT), Federation Internationale
des Droits de l Homme (FIDH), Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT),
The Association for the Prevention of Torture/Association pour la Prevention
de la Torture - Working Together for Human Rights.
The group of NGOs today calls on the international community to "turn
principles into practice", as Mary Robinson highlighted in her opening
statement to the UN Commission on Human Rights.
The case of Togo, which has systematically violated international human
rights standards, will be a test case for whether the Commission on Human
Rights can put effective action before political interests. As the report
of the joint UN - OAU Commission of Inquiry for Togo (COI) is about to
be discussed at its 57th session, the UN Commission on Human Rights must
ensure a full and prompt implementation of their recommendations to address
the culture of impunity and provide justice for the victims of grave human
rights violations in Togo.
NGOs urge the UN Commission on Human Rights to act upon the key recommendation
of the COI: to appoint a Special Rapporteur on Togo. Based on its conclusion
that there was "a situation of systematic violations of human rights in
Togo", the COI sees a Special Rapporteur as necessary to allow closer cooperation
between the UN Commission on Human Rights and the Togolese authorities
to better protect human rights in Togo.
The Special Rapporteur should be appointed not only to monitor human
rights but also to play an important role of preventing new abuses in the
run up to elections later this year. In Togo every election campaign in
the last decade has been marred by gross human rights violations.
"The international community cannot continue to evade its responsibility
under the name of Realpolitik". The UN Commission on Human Rights would
lose credibility if its member states failed to implement the recommendations
of a commission that the UN itself decided to establish.
"To ignore the UN/OAU recommendations will send a signal to states responsible
for human rights violations that they can get away with large scale abuses
with the complicity of the international community", the NGOs spokesperson
said*. The Commission on Human Rights should also ensure that three Special
Rapporteurs (on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, on torture
and on violence against women) are invited to visit Togo.
In doing so, the Commission would implement another important recommendation
of the COI. Allegations of extrajudicial executions, torture, "disappearances",
arbitrary arrest and rape should be further investigated and those responsible
brought to justice as recommended by the Commission.
It is also crucial that the international community provides financial
help to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure
that a mechanism of monitoring and protection of witnesses is set up. Since
the COI left Togo in December, at least ten people both in Togo and Benin
have been threatened by the Togolese authorities.
Some of them had collaborated with the Commission and had to flee their
home fearing for their lives. In light of this information and the repeated
attempts at intimidation of witnesses by the Togolese authorities, as experienced
by the COI itself during its investigations, the NGOs strongly urges the
international community to ensure that the national commission of inquiry
announced by the Togolese government on 7 March meets with international
standards, including that complainants, witnesses and those conducting
the investigation and their families be effectively protected from any
form of intimidation.
It is also important that any national commission of inquiry is fully
resourced, has the power to compel officials to testify, and is composed
of members recognized for their competence, independence and impartiality.
NGOs, victims and their families are waiting to see whether the Commission
will put UN principles into practice.
Background The report of the joint OAU/UN Commission of Inquiry on Togo
charged with "verifying the truth of allegations of hundreds of extrajudicial
executions, which allegedly took place in Togo during 1998, made by Amnesty
International's report published on 5 May 1999" was released on 22 February
2001. The report uncovered evidence of extrajudicial executions carried
out by security forces in concert with the police and armed militias.
It also reports acts of torture, ill treatment of people in detention
as well as rapes of women in the presence of their husbands, perpetrated
by armed militias close to the authorities.
*Eric Sottas, Director of OMCT can be contacted on + 41 22 809 49 39
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office
in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or visit our website at http://www.amnesty.org
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