<<previous  |  index

VIII. Recommendations

To the Government of Guinea

• Acknowledge and condemn excessive use of force on the part of state security forces during recent demonstrations, including the June 2006 nationwide strike.
• Immediately investigate and punish, in accordance with international standards, crimes committed by state security forces during the June 2006 nationwide strike, including murder, rape, assault, and theft.
• Thoroughly review—and as necessary revise—the training curriculum for police and other security forces to ensure comprehensive training on human rights issues including legal and appropriate interrogation techniques, crowd control, and appropriate use of force. Provide comprehensive training for police officers on the conduct of investigations. All training must be consistent with international human rights standards, such as the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials.
• Publicly condemn the use of torture and ill-treatment by police officers and other law enforcement agencies, including through a public information campaign to increase awareness that torture is forbidden under Guinean and international law.
• Investigate promptly and independently all allegations of torture and ill-treatment by police officers or other law enforcement agencies. Identify the individuals responsible for ordering and carrying out the torture, and immediately suspend them from active duty, pending criminal prosecution.
• Ensure that persons taken into custody are charged and brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within 48 hours.
• Ensure that children in detention are kept separate from adults.
• Ensure that all suspects in police custody and in prisons are given adequate food and water, and are granted access to medical treatment when required.
• Compensate victims of torture and ill-treatment adequately and speedily.
• Ratify the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, allowing visits to Guinea by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Committee against Torture, and the UN special rapporteur on torture.

To the Judiciary

• Immediately conduct a review of all prisoners in Guinea who have waited for more than four months without trial.
• Ensure that all defendants are brought to trial within a reasonable time. The authorities should show special diligence in bringing the case to trial if the accused is in pre-trial detention.
• Ensure that the Cour d’Assise has sufficient funding to hold sessions at least every four months, as required by Guinean law.
• Ensure that all prison guards receive a regular salary and training from the state, including human rights training.

To the United States, France, the European Union and other International Donors

• Call publicly and privately on the Guinean government to investigate, and where applicable punish in accordance with international standards, those responsible for crimes during the June 2006 nationwide strike, including, murder, rape, assault, and theft, and those responsible for torture of individuals in police custody.
• Support local nongovernmental organizations to improve the monitoring and documenting of police violations and to undertake advocacy at a national level.
• Support local nongovernmental organizations conducting advocacy on behalf of prisoners.

To the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

• The UN special rapporteur on torture and the African Commission “focal point” on prevention of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in Africa should request permission to visit Guinea and prepare reports on torture and ill-treatment with recommendations to the government of Guinea.