Webinar – Protecting Human Rights in Prisons While Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization to Terrorism: The Role of Independent Detention Monitoring
Tuesday 11 June 2024, 12:30 pm – 2:15 pm GMT, online
On 11 June 2024, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with Penal Reform International (PRI), will hold a webinar to launch the French translation of “Protecting Human Rights in Prisons while Preventing Radicalization Leading to Terrorism or Violence: A Guide for Detention Monitors”. The publication underlines the importance of independent detention monitoring and looks in detail at a number of specific human rights risk areas in preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) in a prison context. For each of those areas, the guide highlights relevant issues for detention monitors to consider and assess in carrying out their work; and it discusses specific practical challenges that may arise when examining VERLT-related issues in detention monitoring.
The event is for national and international experts, as well as detention monitors from National Human Rights Institutions, National Preventive Mechanisms and civil society in French-speaking OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation and beyond. It is also for French-speaking representatives of relevant authorities, including policymakers, penitentiary and counter-terrorism practitioners from the same region.
Why is it important?
Preventing and countering VERLT is an area of increasing focus at the international, regional and national levels. This applies to the prison context due to fears that prisons could represent breeding grounds for VERLT. OSCE participating States have committed to respecting human rights in preventing and countering terrorism and VERLT.
Moreover, a lack of respect for human rights has been recognized, within the OSCE and beyond, as a condition conducive to terrorism. Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and poor conditions of detention among the factors that can contribute to VERLT in prisons. The need for a human rights-based approach to preventing and countering VERLT in prisons is thus fundamental; and the independent monitoring of all places of detention is a key safeguard against torture and other ill-treatment and human rights violations.
The event is part of ODIHR’s ongoing work on human rights and counter-terrorism and on torture prevention within the framework of a multi-year project to strengthen the protection of persons deprived of liberty in the OSCE region.
Programme
The webinar will consist of:
- a brief presentation of the publication
- a keynote address on the importance of independent detention monitoring for the protection of human rights while preventing and countering VERLT in prisons
- a moderated panel discussion with national and international experts and detention monitors from French-speaking countries, including Q&A.
Working language:
The event will be held in English and French with simultaneous interpretation provided.
Registration:
This webinar is a public event. If you would like to participate, please register here by 11 June 2024.
For further information, please contact:
Johannes Heiler, Adviser on Anti-Terrorism Issues (johannes.heiler@odihr.pl)
Maximilian Scheid, Associate Human Rights Officer on Anti-Terrorism Issues (maximilian.scheid@odihr.pl)
Find more information and book your free place here: https://www.osce.org/odihr/569775