Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Germany: The UN Committee Against Torture follows TRIAL’s demands

In November 2011, the Committee against Torture issued its Concluding Observations concerning Sri Lanka, Bulgaria and Germany, setting forth a series of recommendations in line with what TRIAL had called for in its alternative reports submitted in September 2011.

In September 2011, TRIAL had submitted to the Committee three reports the core of which was a critical analysis of Sri Lankan, Bulgarian and German domestic legislation underlining their incompatibility with the provisions of the Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment dealing with the obligation to introduce domestic criminal provisions allowing the repression of the crime of torture and the prosecution of these acts according to the principle of universal jurisdiction.

In brief, the Committee followed TRIAL demands requesting the three States to adopt domestic provisions properly criminalizing the crime of torture and allowing the prosecution of suspected torturers, even for acts committed abroad, only by the very fact that the suspect is found on their territory.

TRIAL had submitted a fourth report concerning Greece. Due to the fact that the State was not present at the last session, the Committee is going to issue its Observations on Greece in the upcoming months.

For further information

• Special TRIAL page on universal jurisdiction and the United Nations Treaty Bodies
• TRIAL Report on Sri Lanka
• Concluding Observations of the Committee on Sri Lanka
• TRIAL Report on Bulgaria
• Concluding Observations of the Committee on Bulgaria
• TRIAL Report on Germany
• Concluding Observations of the Committee on Germany