CAT/C/QAT/CO/2
(b)
The establishment of the Qatar Foundation for Combating Human
Trafficking, pursuant to Supreme Council for Family Affairs Decision No. 1 of 2008;
(c)
The establishment of a standing committee to hear cases of detainees held at
the Deportation Detention Centre, pursuant to Minister of State for Internal Affairs
Decision No. 46 of 2008;
(d)
The enactment of Act No. 3 of 2009 regulating penitentiaries and correctional
institutions; and
(e)
The amendment to the Act establishing the National Human Rights
Committee (Act No. 38 of 2002), by Decree-Law No. 17 of 2010.
C.
Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
Implementation of the Committee’s previous recommendations
6.
While acknowledging the various steps taken by the State party to reform some of its
legislation in line with the Convention, the Committee notes with concern that many of its
recommendations adopted following the consideration of the State party’s initial report
(CAT/C/QAT/CO/1) have not yet been implemented, and regrets that most subjects of
concern remain.
The State party should re-examine and take all necessary measures to give full effect
to the recommendations adopted by the Committee in its previous concluding
observations.
Overarching considerations regarding implementation
7.
The Committee regrets that, despite its repeated requests, most of the statistical
information it requested was not provided. The absence of comprehensive and
disaggregated data on complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of cases of
torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement, security and prison personnel, expulsions of
immigrants and asylum seekers, access to detention records, trial duration, rehabilitation
and compensation, and trafficking and sexual violence severely hampers the identification
of compliance or non-compliance with the Convention requiring attention.
The State party should compile and provide the Committee, in its next periodic
report, with information on complaints, investigations, prosecution and convictions in
cases of torture and ill-treatment, expulsions, length of trials of alleged perpetrators of
torture and ill-treatment, rehabilitation and compensation, trafficking and sexual
violence, and the outcomes of all such complaints and cases. To this end, statistical
data should be disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity status, nationality, relevant to
the monitoring of the Convention.
Criminalization of torture
8.
The Committee welcomes the amendment to the definition of torture in articles 159
and 159 bis of the Criminal Code in conformity with article 1 of the Convention and the
amendment to its national legislation in order to apply appropriate penalties for torture and
ill-treatment. However, the Committee regrets the lack of information about cases in which
those legal provisions were applied by domestic courts and the punishments imposed for
such acts (arts. 2 and 4).
The State party should ensure the effective implementation of the amended definition
of torture under articles 159 and 159 bis of the Criminal Code, and follow up on cases
in which those provisions are invoked before and by courts. The State party should
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