Mongolia: NHRC calls on police to respect rights of detainees
The Chief Commissioner of Mongolia's National Human Rights Commission has requested police to respect the rights of people detained following unrest in the capital earlier this month.
The Chief Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission, Mrs. D.Solongo has made a request to the Head of the General Police Department Office.
The request states that during the unrest on 1 July 2008, more than 720 people have been arrested.
In connection with this situation, it is stated in Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
Article 2 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment says “no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture”.
Protection against torture is also included in Article 12 of the Constitution of Mongolia which states that “in case of a state of emergency or war, the human rights and freedoms as defined by the Constitution and other laws shall be subject to limitation only by a law. Such a law shall not affect the right to life, the freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as the right not to be subjected to torture, inhuman and cruel treatment”.
It was requested that there be protection and prevention measures from any violations of honor, rights and freedoms during the investigation procedure.
Date: 3 July 2008
