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Deprived of Liberty
Country Visits
2015
Mexico, September 27 to October 2nd, 2015
In the framework of the onsite visit to Mexico, on September 28 to October 2, 2105, the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty focused on gathering and processing information on the torture of prisoners when first detained, the misuse of pre-trial detention, use of the legal mechanism "quasi flagrante delicto" (flagrancia equiparada), and regulation of pre-charge detention (arraigo).
Mexico, September 22 to 24, 2015
In follow-up to the visit to Mexico in September 2014, Commissioner James L. Cavallaro, as Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, visited Mexico on September 22 to 24, 2015. During his trip, the Rapporteur visited both federal and state penitentiaries in Mexico City and its outskirts, and met with representatives of civil society.
Panama, June and November, 2015
Commissioner James L. Cavallaro visited Panama on June 17 to 19, 2015. During his trip, the Rapporteur visited the prisons of “La Joya” and "La Joyita” to observe how persons deprived of liberty could be transferred to the prison "La Nueva Joya" in keeping with human rights. He also met with national authorities having jurisdiction in this matter, the directors and staff of penitentiaries, and representatives of civil society. On November 12 and 13, 2015, the Rapporteur made a second working visit to Panama. The Rapporteurship is working with the Deputy Minister of the Interior and other government authorities to identify how the country's penitentiaries can be restructured.
2014
Honduras, December 1st to 5th, 2014
The Rapporteurship conducted monitoring activities in the context of the in loco visit conducted in Honduras by the IACHR from December 1st to 5th, 2014. In the course of the visit, the Rapporteurship visited the National Penitentiary of San Pedro Sula, the National Penitentiary of Comayagua, the National Penitentiary “Marco Aurelio Soto”, the detention facilities at the 1st and 3rd Battalion of Infantry, the detention facility at “Los Cobras” headquarters, the Center for Juveniles Offenders Renaciendo, and the New Penitentiary of San Pedro Sula, currently under construction; attended to meeting with high level authorities in charge of the penitentiary administration and received relevant information from other stakeholder.
- The preliminary observations of the Rapporteurship are included in the annex of the Press Release No. 146/14 – IACHR Wraps Up Onsite Visit to Honduras.
- Gallery on Flickr
- Webpage of the visit
Mexico, September 17 to 19, 2014
From September 17 to 19, 2014, the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, led by Commissioner James L. Cavallaro, made a monitoring visit to Mexico that constitutes the first part of a two-part visit, the second part of which will take place in early 2015. The objective of the visit was to obtain information about the situation of the Mexican penitenciary system and to identify its main deficiencies. The delegation met with various public authorities, with several civil society organizations and experts devoted to monitoring the situation of the prison system in Mexico.
Paraguay, August 25 to 29, 2014
The Rapporteurship, led by Commissioner James L. Cavallaro, made a working visit to Paraguay on August 25 to 29, 2014. The objective of the visit was to verify the general situation of the Paraguayan prison system, to identify its main shortcomings, and to make recommendations to the State. The delegation met with diferents authorities and officials of the State and public defenders from various regions of the country. The delegation also met with the Coordinator of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Paraguay and with several civil society organizations devoted to monitoring the situation of persons deprived of liberty. It also had a chance to meet with family members of persons deprived of liberty.
During the visit, the Rapporteurship visited the National Penitentiary of Tacumbú, the Buen Pastor National Women’s Penitentiary, the Integral Education Center for Adolescents of Itauguá, and the “Padre Juan Antonio de la Vega” Regional Penitentiary of Emboscada. Finally, promotion activities included the following: On August 25 the Report on the Use of Pretrial Detention in the Americas was presented at an event that included the participation of the Minister of Justice and key representatives of the judicial branch, civil society organizations, and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture. In addition, on August 27 a training workshop was held for state officials on inter-American standards regarding the rights of persons deprived of liberty, and in particular the guarantees and principles on the use of pretrial detention. The visit concluded with a press conference.
New York, United States - April, 7 to 10
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a visit to New York, United States, from April 7 to 10, 2014. The delegation was led by the IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child, Commissioner Rosa Maria Ortiz, accompanied by staff attorneys of the Executive Secretary of the IACHR from the Office of the Rapporteurs on the Rights of the Child and Adolescents and on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty. The delegation talked to state authorities in Albany including Acting Commissioner of the New York Department of Corrections, Anthony Annucci, with the Chair of the Correction Committee of the State Assembly, Danny O´Donnell, and was welcomed by the New York State Assembly. The delegation also met city officials in New York City, including Member of the NYC Board of Corrections Bryanne Hamill and Executive Director Cathy Potler. In addition, they also received information from the Assistant Commissioner of the Correctional Health Services, Homer Venters. The delegation visited the Robert N. Davoren Complex (RNDC) in Rikers Island jail in New York City. The Rapporteur was welcomed by the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections, Joseph Ponte, and the Warden of the Complex, James Perrino, as well as the Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and the complex’s school principal and other high ranking officials from the NYC Department of Corrections and the Mayor’s Office.
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2012
Colombia, December 2012
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The Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty conducted promotional and monitoring activities in the context of the in loco visit conducted in Colombia by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights from December 3rd to 7th, 2012. The staff of the Rapporteurship visited the Center for Juveniles Offenders El Redentor, the Metropolitan Penitentiary of Bogota “La Picota” and the “La Modelo” Prison; attended to meeting with high level authorities in charge of the penitentiary administration; and gave a workshop directed to staff members of the National Penitentiary Institute (INPEC). The preliminary observations of the Rapporteurship are included in the annex of the Press Release No. 144/2012. The material of the workshop are only available in Spanish:
- INPEC Institutional presentation, by Ivonne Lagos, Human Rights Coordinator at INPEC (available in Spanish only)
- Introduction to the IACHR Mechanisms, by Jorge H. Meza, IACHR specialist (available in Spanish only)
- Presentation of the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, by Andrés Pizarro Sotomayor, IACHR specialist (available in Spanish only)
Honduras, April, 2012
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The Rapporteuship on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a working visit to Honduras from April 23rd to 27th, 2012. The visit was in response to the fire occurred at the National Penitentiary of Comayagua on February 14, 2011 in which 362 people died. The delegation who went to Honduras was composed by the Commissioner Rodrigo Escobar Gil, Rapporteur of Persons Deprived of Liberty of the IACHR and the staff of the Rapporteurship, as an immediate outcome of the visit the IACHR adopted the Press Release No. 43/12; likewise the Commission is currently working in the final version of a special report on the situation of persons deprived of liberty in Honduras in accordance with the article 60 of the Rules of Procedure of the IACHR. Moreover, as part of the follow-up of the situation of persons deprived of liberty in Honduras, and specifically due to the tragedy occurred in Comayagua, the IACHR adopted the Press Release No. 19/12; formally requested information to the State and sua sponte called for a public hearing that took place on March 26, 2012 during the 144º Period of Sessions, the audio of this hearing is available in Spanish at: http://www.oas.org/es/cidh/audiencias/Hearings.aspx?Lang=es&Session=125
2011
Uruguay, July 2011
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) carried out a working visit to Uruguay on July 4-8, 2011. The delegation was made up of Commissioner Rodrigo Escobar and staff of the Executive Secretariat. The purpose of this working visit was to verify the general situation of Uruguay's prison system, identify the main problems it is facing, and issue concrete recommendations to the State. At the conclusion of the visit, the IACHR published Press Relese 76/11.
Suriname, May 2011
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) carried out a visit to the Republic of Suriname on May 25-27, 2011. The delegation was composed of the Rapporteur, Commissioner Rodrigo Escobar Gil, and staff of the IACHR Executive Secretariat. This was the first observation visit made by an international human rights institution to incarceration facilities in the Republic of Suriname. The IACHR published Press Release 56/11 on the visit.
2010
El Salvador, October 2010
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty carried out a visit to El Salvador on October 5-9, 2010. The Rapporteur for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty and his delegation visited the "Sendero de Libertad" ["Path to Freedom"] Center for Social Integration (Ilobasco), the Quezaltepeque Prison, and the Zacatecoluca Maximum Security Prison. At the end of its visit, the Office of the Rapporteur gave a press conference and published Press Release 104/10: IACHR Office of the Rapporteur Attests to Structural Deficiencies in Prison System of El Salvador.
Argentina, June 2010
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty conducted a visit to Argentina on June 7-10, 2010. The purpose of the visit was to compile information for the preparation of a report that was presented to the Inter-American Court in the context of provisional measures. The delegation visited the Greater Buenos Aires Northern Complex; Sierra Chica Unit 2; Lisandro Olmos Unit 1; the Ensenada Police Station, Third Precinct (El Dique); the Berisso Police Station, First Precinct; and the Lomas de Zamora Police Station, Sixth Precinct. At the end of the visit, the IACHR issuedPress Release 64/10: IACHR Rapporteurship Confirms Grave Detention Conditions in Buenos Aires Province.
Ecuador, May 2010
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty carried out a visit to Ecuador on May 19-21, 2010, in the framework of a standing invitation extended by the State of Ecuador to the IACHR. The delegation visited the Quito Women’s Center for Social Rehabilitation and the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil. At the end of the visit, the IACHR issued Press Release 56/10: Rapporteurship on Persons Deprived of Liberty Concludes Visit to Ecuador.
2009
Uruguay, May 2009
On May 6, 7, and 8, the Office of the Rapporteur conducted a visit to Uruguay and visited three correctional facilities in the city of Montevideo: the National Rehabilitation Center, the Santiago Vásquez Prison Complex, and the "Medio Camino" halfway house for women. This was the first prison visit the Rapporteur for Persons Deprived of Liberty had made to Uruguay.
Argentina, April 2009
On April 24, 2009, the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty carried out a visit to the Mendoza Provincial Prison and the Gustavo André Unit, in the province of Mendoza. The Office of the Rapporteur had first visited those prisons in December 2004, after which it made recommendations to the local authorities. The purpose of the April 2009 visit was to verify the state of these facilities and the degree of compliance with the provisional measures handed down by the Inter-American Court in 2004. In addition, the IACHR prepared a report it submitted to the Inter-American Court. The report is cited in the September 10, 2010, Order of the President of the Inter-American Court [available only in Spanish]. On November 26, 2010, the Inter-American Court lifted these provisional measures and archived the matter.
Related links:
See
I/A Court H.R., Matter of the Mendoza Prisons regarding Argentina, in
Provisional Measures
2008
Paraguay, September 2008
The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty carried out an observation visit to the Neuropsychiatric Hospital of Asunción, Paraguay, on September 11, 2008, to verify compliance with precautionary measures granted by the IACHR on July 29, 2008 (PM 277-07). In addition, on September 11 and 12, Commissioner Meléndez met with authorities from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Public Health and Social Well-Being.
Chile, August 2008
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Americas carried out a visit to Chile on August 21-25, 2008, in order to receive information and observe the situation of persons deprived of liberty in detention facilities in the country. The Office of the Rapporteur visited two juvenile detention centers (the San Joaquín Center for Provisional Internment of Minors, in Santiago, and “Tiempo Joven,” in San Bernardo); three prisons operated under concession (the Santiago I Preventive Detention Center, the Rancago Prison Complex, and the Valdivia Prison Complex); and the South Santiago Prison Center and the Valparaíso Prison Complex, as well as the Santiago Women’s Prison Center. At the end of the visit, the IACHR issued Press Release 39/08: Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty Concludes Visit to Chile.
2007
Mexico, August 2007
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Commissioner Florentín Meléndez conducted an observation visit to Mexico on August 6-11, 2007. One of the purposes of the visit was to verify the situation of persons deprived of liberty in several prisons in Mexico. The delegation was in the Federal District on August 6-8 and in Oaxaca on August 9-11. During the visit, the delegation visited the Eastern Preventive Prison for Men, the Santiaguito Social Readaptation Center, the Altiplano Federal Center for Social Readaptation, the Tlaxiaco Prison, and the Ixcotel Prison. The visit was announced through Press Release 41/07: IACHR President Visits Mexico. During the visit, the IACHR issued Press Release 43/07: IACHR President Meets with President of Mexico, and at the close of the visit it published Press Release 45/07: IACHR President Urges Investigation into Acts of Violence in Oaxaca.
Haiti, June 2007
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty visited Haiti on June 17-20, 2007, to receive information and observe the situation of persons deprived of liberty in certain detention facilities in Port-au-Prince. The delegation visited the National Penitentiary, the Delmas Police Station, the Delmas Prison for Minors, and the Prison for Women in Pétion-Ville. At the end of the visit, the IACHR published Press Release 32/07: Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty Concludes Visit to the Republic of Haiti.
2006
Argentina, December 2006
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During the December 3-8, 2006, working visit to the province of Buenos Aires, Commissioner Florentín Meléndez, in his capacity as Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, visited the Lomas de Zamora 10 and Echeverría 3 Police Stations, and Units 28 and 36 of the Magdalena Prison Complex, on December 3. On December 4, the Rapporteur visited the Villa Devoto Prison (Penitentiary Unit 2), Women’s Unit 31 of the Ezeiza Complex, and the "Borda" Penitentiary Unit 20 (Men’s Central Psychiatric Service).
Bolivia, November 2006
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During a visit carried out November 12-17, 2006, by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Commissioner Florentín Meléndez, in his capacity as Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, visited the Chonchocorro Penitentiary (in El Alto) and the San Pedro Prison and Obrajes Women's Guidance Center (both in La Paz) to observe the human rights situation of persons deprived of liberty. At the end of the visit, the IACHR publishedPress Release 48/06: IACHR Checks Situation of Persons Deprived of Liberty in Some Jails in the Republic of Bolivia.
Brasil, September 2006
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty conducted a visit to Brazil on September 20-22, 2006, to verify the situation at the “Dr. Sebastião Martins Silveira” Penitentiary in Araraquara, in the state of São Paulo, and the FEBEM "Tatuapé Complex," in the city of São Paulo. Both prisons have been the subject of provisional measures ordered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The purpose of the visit was to verify compliance with the Court's measures. During the visit, the Rapporteur met with representatives of the beneficiaries of both provisional measures and their relatives, as well as with high-level authorities in charge of managing both facilities.
The observation at the "Tatuapé Complex" took place September 20, and the IACHR delegation's conclusions were presented to the Inter-American Court in its next written observations on the aforementioned provisional measures.
The observation at the Araraquara Penitentiary took place September 22. The IACHR delegation was also at the Serra Azul Penitentiary, where some of the beneficiaries had been transferred. The Commission decided to conduct that visit to gather concrete information, since the Inter-American Court was holding a hearing on the case on September 28, 2006. The Commission's conclusions were presented to the Court in a public hearing; after that, on September 30, 2006, the Court adopted provisional measures for all persons who were being held in that penitentiary on July 28, 2006.
Related links:
See I/A Court H.R., Matter of the Persons Imprisoned in the “Dr. Sebastião Martins Silveira” Penitentiary in Araraquara, São Paulo, regarding Brazil,
in Provisional Measures
República Dominicana, August 2006
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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty conducted a visit to the Dominican Republic on August 8-12, 2006, to observe the human rights situation of persons being held in detention centers in that country. The delegation visited the Higüey Public Jail, the La Victoria National Penitentiary, and the Center for the Comprehensive Care of Juvenile Offenders. It also visited detention centers whose facilities and administrative and disciplinary system were part of a new prison model. This included the Dajabón, Puerto Plata, Rafey Mujeres, Rafey Hombres, and Najayo Mujeres Correction and Rehabilitation Centers, as well as the Monte Plata Model Jail. The Rapporteur also led a workshop on the rights of persons deprived of their liberty, and on the inter-American system's protection mechanisms.
2005
Colombia, November 2005
The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty carried out a visit to Colombia in November 2005, in conjunction with the Colombia Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in order to attest to prison conditions and the respect for the rights of persons deprived of liberty. The delegation visited the Buen Pastor Women's Prison in Bogotá and the Palo Gordo Prison in the municipality of Girón, Santander, to verify compliance with precautionary measures that had been issued by the IACHR for 106 inmates who were calling themselves political prisoners. The observation ended with a visit to the Vista Hermosa Penitentiary in Cali, as well as to police stations in that city.
Brasil, June 2005
Rapporteur Florentín Meléndez conducted a nighttime visit to the "Tatuapé" Internment Center for Juvenile Offenders in São Paulo, Brazil, on June 23, 2005. He produced a report containing recommendations, as part of the processing of precautionary measures granted by the IACHR to the benefit of the youth being held in that institution.
2004
Honduras, December 2004
An IACHR delegation visited adult and juvenile detention centers in the cities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, in coordination with the IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF. On the occasion of the visit, the Commission of its own accord adopted precautionary measures to protect juvenile detainees who were being subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The delegation also made recommendations to the local authorities. On December 4, 2004, Press Release 26/04 was issued: IACHR and UNICEF Express Concern over Situation of Boys, Girls and Adolescentes Involved with Gangs in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Guatemala, November 2004
An IACHR delegation visited detention centers in Guatemala City and Escuintla, including facilities for juveniles and adults. The visit was made in coordination with the IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF. On the occasion of the visit, the Commission of its own accord adopted precautionary measures to protect juvenile detainees who were being subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The delegation also made recommendations to the local authorities and participated in a promotional activity on the rights of persons deprived of liberty, geared toward mayors and departmental governors.