ICHR urges the international community to take action to ensure the people that are imprisoned or detained are not facing human rights violations in detention. As they are entitled to the rights and standards enshrined in international laws.
Everyone has the same rights and they can never be taken away, no matter where you are, or what you may have done. Therefore just because you are in prison, it does not mean your human rights disappear.
While there have been thousands improvement of systemic change, but there are still too many people that are still languishing in isolation, incommunicado, in fear.
“Under international human rights law, no one can be detained without a legitimate reason and, anyone accused of a crime has the right to a fair trial.” Said Ardeshir Zarezadeh, Executive Director for Iran, and The Middle East at ICHR Canada.
But in many countries throughout the world, no proper process is followed and no safeguards are in place: such as lawyers present during interrogations; independent doctors on-hand to examine detainees; contact with families and ensuring confessions obtained by torture can never be used as evidence.
The problem:
There are seven main problems.
1- Prisoners of conscience – someone has not used or advocated violence but is imprisoned because of who they are (sexual orientation, ethnic, national or social origin, language, birth, colour, sex or economic status) or what they believe (religious, political or other conscientiously held beliefs).
2- Arbitrary detention – being detained for no legitimate reason or without legal process
3- Incommunicado – being detained without access to family, lawyers etc.
4- Secret detention – being detained in a secret location.
5- Inadequate prison conditions – such as overcrowding and prolonged solitary confinement.
6- Unfair trials – trials conducted without ensuring minimum legal process.
7- Torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
ICHR is strongly calling for:
• No secret detentions.
• No torture or other forms of ill-treatment.
• Rapid and regular access to lawyers, doctors and relatives.
• Effective legal process so that people can challenge their detention and treatment.
• Independent judges.
• Adequate detention conditions. Including an end to prolonged solitary confinement.
• Prompt and independent investigations when someone dies in detention.
• Independent Monitoring bodies make regular visits to detention places.
• Fair trials within a reasonable time or release.
• All prisoners of conscience and political prisoners released without conditions.