CAT/C/CR/31/6
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(c)
The increase in the number of police officers, in conformity with the Committee’s
recommendation;
(d)
The plan to build additional prisons in order to remedy prison overcrowding, and
the collective pardon granted in November 2002 enabling 1,757 detainees to be immediately
released;
(e)
The assurance given by the delegation that the verification of the individual
situations of detainees and appellants will eventually result in the release of the range of persons
held in pre-trial detention, notably juveniles, women and sick persons;
(f)
The proposed restructuring of the National Committee on Human Rights and
Freedoms to make it more independent of the executive and give it greater prominence.
(g)
The current finalization of a law against violence against women;
(h)
The establishment of the Ad Hoc Technical Committee for Implementation of the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, with a view to ratification of that Statute;
(i)
The establishment of nine new courts in 2001.
Subjects of concern
4.
The Committee recalls that, in 2000, it found that torture seemed to be a very widespread
practice in Cameroon, and expresses concern at reports that this situation still exists. It is
troubled by the sharp contradictions between consistent allegations of serious violations of the
Convention and the information provided by the State party. In particular, the Committee
declares serious concern about:
(a)
Reports of the systematic use of torture in police and gendarmerie stations after
arrest;
(b)
The continued existence of extreme overcrowding in Cameroonian prisons, in
which living and hygiene conditions would appear to endanger the health and lives of prisoners
and are tantamount to inhuman and degrading treatment. Medical care reportedly has to be paid
for, and the separation of men and women is not always ensured in practice. The Committee
notes with particular concern the large number of deaths at Douala central prison since the
beginning of the year (25 according to the State party, 72 according to non-governmental
organizations);
(c)
Reports of torture, ill-treatment and arbitrary detention perpetrated under the
responsibility of certain traditional chiefs, sometimes with the support of the forces of law and
order.
5.
The Committee notes with concern that:
(a)
The draft code of criminal procedure has still not been adopted;