The Human Rights Center together with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population of Tajikistan (MHSPP) is conducting a three-day training session on the Istanbul Protocol standards and characteristics of the monitoring of forensic medical institutions in Dushanbe. The training that is being held within the framework of the European Union project ‘Actions for Freedom from Torture in Tajikistan’ will conclude on July 27.
The purpose of the training is to provide participants with information and practical knowledge on the methodology for assessing forensic medical centers, standards of the Istanbul Protocol and national legislation on medical documentation.
Trained specialists will use the obtained knowledge to conduct a survey among doctors of medical Centers on practical application of the medical form ‘Protocol of Medical Examination of Detainees’ approved by the MHSPP and its compliance with established standards. The monitoring will be carried out in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population of Tajikistan, in which individuals responsible for this action will be identified.
The Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, commonly known as the Istanbul Protocol, is the first set of international guidelines for documentation of torture and its consequences. It became an official United Nations document in 1999. The Istanbul Protocol is intended to serve as a set of international guidelines for the assessment of persons who allege torture and ill treatment, for investigating cases of alleged torture, and for reporting such findings to the judiciary and any other investigative body.
The Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment contains internationally recognized standards and procedures on how to recognize and document symptoms of torture so the documentation may serve as valid evidence in court. As such, the Istanbul Protocol provides useful guidance for doctors and lawyers who want to investigate whether or not a person has been tortured and report the findings to the judiciary and any other investigative bodies.
