A/HRC/40/59/Add.2
Annex
Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on his visit
to Argentina
I. Introduction
1.
At the invitation of the Government, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment conducted a visit to Argentina from 9 to 20
April 2018 with his team.
2.
The Special Rapporteur is grateful to the Government of Argentina for inviting him
to undertake this country visit and for its excellent cooperation before and after the visit. He
thanks all the federal and provincial authorities for the excellent cooperation that he enjoyed
throughout the visit, and for the many meaningful official meetings with various relevant
officials. The Special Rapporteur looks forward to continuing the constructive dialogue with
the Government on the issues presented in the present report.
3.
The Special Rapporteur is also indebted to the numerous other stakeholders who
shared their perspectives, in particular representatives of non-governmental organizations
and indigenous communities, human rights defenders, individuals formerly or currently
deprived of their liberty, and the relatives of those individuals. He thanks the Office of the
United Nations Resident Coordinator in Argentina for its support and cooperation throughout
his visit.
4.
During his 12-day visit, the Special Rapporteur visited the city of Buenos Aires and
the Provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Formosa. In Buenos Aires, he had the
opportunity to assess issues and discuss matters of concern with officials of the federal
authorities, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and Human
Rights, the National Secretariat for Human Rights, the Ministry of Health and Social
Development, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Security,
the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief Public Defender’s Office, the Office of the
Ombudsman of the Nation, the Office of the Ombudsman for the Prison System and members
of the newly created national preventive mechanism. In the city of Buenos Aires, he met with
the Buenos Aires City Police and the city’s Public Defence Service. He also met with various
provincial authorities. In the Province of Buenos Aires, he met with the Ministry of Justice,
the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Health, the Provincial Agency of Childhood, the
Secretariat for Human Rights, the Attorney General’s Office, the Office of the Criminal
Cassation Defence Counsel and provincial legislators. In the Province of Córdoba, he met
with the Secretary for Mental Health of the Ministry of Health, the Secretary for Security,
the Secretary for Prison Organization and Management, the provincial High Court and the
Criminal Chamber, public defenders and the provincial delegation of the Office of the
Ombudsman for the Prison System. In the Province of Formosa, he met with the Office of
the Undersecretary for Human Rights, the Ministry of the Provincial Government, Justice,
Security and Labour, the Ministry of Human Development, the provincial High Court and
the provincial delegations of the Office of the Ombudsman for the Prison System and the
Office of the Ombudsman of the Nation.
5.
Throughout his visit, the Special Rapporteur and his team enjoyed unrestricted
freedom of movement and access to all places where people are deprived of their liberty.
They were able to meet with and interview male, female, juvenile and transgender detainees
in private, in full compliance with the terms of reference of his mandate. In the city of Buenos
Aires, the Special Rapporteur visited Braulio Aurelio Moyano neuropsychiatric hospital for
women, and the neighbourhood of Zavaleta. In the Province of Buenos Aires, he visited Unit
23 of Florencio Varela prison complex, Alejandro Korn neuropsychiatric hospital in the city
of La Plata, Unit IV of the Ezeiza federal prison, the Almafuerte closed centre for juveniles
and Police Stations Nos. I and V. In the Province of Córdoba, he visited the Esperanza
complex for juveniles, Cruz del Eje prison, the Aurelio Crespo Hospital, Bouwer prison and
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