7/7/2006
UN Expert Visiting Jordan Finds ‘General Impunity For Torture And Ill-Treatment’

A UN expert, recently returned from Jordan, has concluded that there is general impunity for torture and ill-treatment there.  Jordan serves as a vice chair on the newly established UN Human Rights Council.

Manfred Nowak, the expert, who is the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, met the Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and various other officials during his 25 to 29 June mission. He also visited a number of detention facilities, the UN said, where he was able to carry out unrestricted inspections. However it also said there were “two notable and regrettable exceptions.”

During his visit to the General Intelligence Directorate he was abruptly denied the right to speak to detainees in private, the UN said. The second exception concerned the Criminal Investigation Department in Abdali, central Amman. It was not surprising that these two facilities were the ones most often cited by various sources of information as the two most notorious torture centres
in Jordan, Mr Nowak said.
 
On the basis of a thorough analysis of the legal system, Mr Nowak's visits to detention facilities, interviews with detainees, the support of forensic medical evidence, and interviews with Government officials, lawyers and representatives of NGOs (non-governmental organisations), the Special Rapporteur concludes there is general impunity for torture and ill-treatment in Jordan,” the UN said.

Mr. Nowak also highlighted that no functioning complaints mechanism exists to report and seek effective redress for acts of torture, but said that the absence of a crime of torture in accordance with article One of the Convention against Torture was only part of the problem.

“At the heart of it lies a system where the presumption of innocence is illusory, primacy is placed on obtaining confessions, and public officials essentially assume no responsibility, or sense of duty to investigate human rights violations against suspected criminals.”
 
The Special Rapporteur went on to say that he recognised the “significant challenges” faced by Jordan given its strategic location in the Middle East, not least the prevailing sensitive security situation and the continued threat of terrorism, but emphasised that Government security measures “must respect international human rights norms.”

To improve the situation he laid out six recommendations, adding that Jordan’s position as “a vice-chair of the UN Human Rights Council and the clear commitment of the Government to human rights” had assured him that every effort will be taken to take these up.