CAT/OP/SEN/2/Add.1
II. Replies to recommendations relating to institutional issues
15.
Upon his appointment in January 2012, the Director of the Observatory set about
establishing the necessary structures to enable him to fulfil his mission. Internal rules of
procedure and Guidance on Visits to Places of Deprivation of Liberty were compiled and
publicized. The workplan prepared since February 2013 includes visits to places of
deprivation of liberty and training sessions for judges, gendarmes, police officers and
prison officials.
16.
Implementation of the workplan is proceeding smoothly and to the satisfaction of
domestic and international public opinion, despite the modest resources made available to
us by the Government.
17.
Since March 2013, Observatory staff have visited the regions of Thiès, Saint-Louis,
Tambacounda and Kaolack and have provided training to 53 judges, 55 gendarmes,
18 police officers and 25 prison officials – a total of 151 people working in 11 of the
country’s 14 administrative regions.
18.
Observatory staff have also visited prisons, gendarmerie and police stations and a
psychiatric hospital and have sent reports on those visits to the competent authorities with
recommendations for measures to improve the living conditions of persons deprived of
liberty.
19.
The Observatory also organized a workshop for the fortieth graduating class of the
National Police Academy, comprising 374 students, from 9 to 13 September 2013. This
training will also be provided to students of the Gendarmerie Training Academy in 2014.
20.
The Monitoring Committee, which includes representatives of the most
representative non-governmental and civil-society organizations, has already begun holding
meetings, chaired by the General Secretary of the Observatory, to provide guidance for the
latter’s smooth functioning.
21.
A dynamic partnership has been established with Amnesty International and the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to train law
enforcement officers.
22.
On 13 and 14 December 2013, the Observatory, in partnership with the regional
office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, will hold a national forum in the
form of a workshop on the topic “Prison conditions in Senegal”.
23.
This workshop will bring together all actors of the justice system, the police and
gendarmerie security forces and the prison administration, and will be held under the aegis
of the Ministry of Justice.
24.
All the activities described in the present document will be included in an annual
report to the President of the Republic. That report will be made public.
25.
The programme of visits for 2014 includes follow-up visits to places of deprivation
of liberty already visited as well as thematic visits relating to the detention of minors,
mental health in prisons, the situation of women detained with their young children, etc.
26.
Visits to detention centres of military camps will also take place.
III. Replies to recommendations relating to methodology
27.
For visits to places of deprivation of liberty, the Observatory has included in its
Guidance the regulatory procedures for interrogations and the keeping of registers as well
as arrests and arrivals at places of detention.
GE.14-40538
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