Our Missions

Mali

ProFOTO : Promotion of the fundamental rights of detainees and application of legal instruments for the prevention of torture in Mali

PROJECT DESCRIPTION


The Malian prison system faces many challenges: prison overcrowding, lack of categorical separation of detainees, imperfect security arrangements, inadequate staff training, lack of control over the length and conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty and ineffective rehabilitation policy. This situation is conducive to the development of inappropriate behaviour to the detriment of detainees, at a time when the 59 penitentiary centres in Mali are experiencing an almost constant deterioration, accentuated by the multidimensional crisis that has persisted since 2012.


Upstream, the police and national police forces are also faced with a drastic lack of resources and a lack of training, which in some cases can lead to acts of torture and ill-treatment of suspects. They are often deprived of their liberty well beyond the legal time limits, in undignified conditions, even though the "religion of confession" can lead to reprehensible practices.


In this context, ASF France considers that the systematic monitoring of places of deprivation of liberty and the training of those involved in the justice system are effective means of ensuring that Mali complies with its international

commitments, in particular the United Nations Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol, which were ratified on 26 February 1999 and 12 May 2005 respectively.

 

EXPECTED RESULTS

  • Actors in the penal chain, law enforcement officers and prison staff have strengthened their legal knowledge and capacity in the prevention of acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

  • Advocacy activities encouraging the Malian State to fulfil its obligations regarding the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment have been carried out.

  • The technical capacity of the national preventive mechanism for the prevention of torture has been strengthened.

OBJECTIVES

  • General objective : To contribute to the prevention of acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in order to improve the rule of law in Mali.

  • Specific objective : To promote better knowledge and application of mechanisms for the prevention of torture by strengthening the capacities of actors in the penal chain and advocating for the prevention of torture in places of deprivation of liberty.

ACTIONS TAKEN

  • Training of law enforcement officers and prison staff to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

  • Training of actors in the penal chain to eliminate acts of torture and ill-treatment and to combat prison overcrowding, in accordance with international, regional and national mechanisms.

  • Advocacy actions aimed at political authorities, technical advisers and managers of key departments in order to encourage the Malian State to fulfil its obligations with regard to the prevention of torture.

  • Capacity-building for members of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) on carrying out visits to places of detention, torture and investigation and reporting techniques.

FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL PARTNERS

The CNDH, a national human rights institution and National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, will be associated with ASF France and ASF Mali to implement this project. The Special Fund of the OPCAT (Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture), the French Ambassy in Mali and ETWA support the project.

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