Published on April 23, 2025
The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture emphasizes the obligation of states to ensure the independence and financial resources necessary for the effective operation of these mechanisms, which in the Czech Republic is the Public Defender of Rights
The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), which serves as a supporting body for national mechanisms for the prevention of ill-treatment of persons in facilities, has issued its annual report for 2024. Among other points, it emphasizes the obligation of states to ensure the independence and financial resources necessary for the effective operation of these mechanisms, which in the Czech Republic is the Public Defender of Rights.
In addition, the SPT presents General Comment No. 1 (2024), a fundamental legal document that clarifies the concept of "places of deprivation of liberty" to which the mandate of national preventive mechanisms applies. In other words, it defines the locations where the Ombudsperson may conduct inspections. The SPT also calls on State Parties to adopt a broad interpretation, including private facilities.
The 18th annual report of the SPT has just been published and is available in all six official UN languages.