Publications

The Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI) and REDRESS three-part series of factsheets summarises the key thematic areas reviewed in the recent report titled ‘Anti-Torture Standards in Common Law Africa: Good Practices and Way Forward’. The factsheets review the anti-torture legal and regulatory frameworks in specific States in common law Africa but can be useful for other States and practitioners in the region more broadly. Specifically, the three factsheets analyse: The extent to which the reviewed States have domesticated the definition and prohibition of torture, the implementation of safeguards against torture for persons deprived of their liberty, and the existing complaints and investigation mechanisms that receive complaints of and investigate allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in the eight States reviewed. To download a Factsheet, see the ‘Downloads’ menu and click on the Factsheet you would like to download.

REDRESS and the National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) made this submission to draw the Committee against Torture’s attention to the issue of discriminatory violence affecting individuals identifying or perceived as LGBTIQ+ in Kenya.

REDRESS and its South African partners, Access Chapter 2, have made a joint submission as part of the Fourth Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of South Africa that will be held in October and November 2022. The submission focuses on the disproportionate violence and other human rights violations experienced by individuals who identify as LGBTIQ+ in South Africa, raises concerns regarding legislative and practical gaps in the protection of LGTIQ+ persons, the State’s failure to prevent, investigate and prosecute acts of violence (including torture and other ill-treatment) and pervasive barriers to justice and redress for victims.

The effective incorporation of anti-torture standards within States’ domestic legal frameworks and their effective implementation in practice is crucial to prevent torture and other ill-treatment, ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, and to provide redress for victims. States in the African region widely reject the practice of torture and other ill-treatment, notably reflected through near regional universality of the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT) and the widespread ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and other human rights treaties. REDRESS and the Convention against Torture Initiative’s report examines the anti-torture legislative and regulatory framework of eight States in common law Africa, namely, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe. It identifies existing good practices and legislative provisions and opportunities for anti-torture legislative and regulatory reforms to inspire action towards strengthening the domestic implementation of UNCAT across the region. It outlines measures and proposals that can be considered by States and their institutions to secure legal protection against torture and other ill-treatment and positively impact torture prevention and response in practice. REDRESS would like to thank our partners CTI; the law firm Clifford Chance for their support during the drafting and editing process, and the expert members of the Advisory Board of this report: Ms. Aua Baldé, H.E. Mr. Ramses Joseph Cleland, Dr. Alice Edwards, Mr. Gaye Sowe, Ms. Ruth Ssekindi  and Prof. Frans Viljoen.

In this briefing, REDRESS, the People’s Legal Aid Centre (PLACE), the Darfur Bar Association, and the Emergency Lawyers Group outline patterns of arrests and detentions conducted under Sudan’s emergency laws since the 25 October 2021 military coup.

This briefing provides background on Sudan’s Central Reserve Police (or "Abu Tira"), its current leadership and organisational structure, and a summary of ongoing violations committed in combination with other Sudanese military and security forces.

In a letter released ahead of the 3rd cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Sudan, REDRESS joined more than 53 Sudanese, regional and international organisations in calling on the UN Human Rights Council to address the ongoing political crisis in Sudan. The signatories highlight that the Human Rights Council must raise the grave human rights violations that have occurred since the military coup on 25 October 2021.

This Q&A aims to help journalists navigate the complexities of reporting on enforced disappearances in Africa, a particularly cruel human rights abuse that is prevalent on the continent, frequently used by governments as a method of repression, terror, and stifling dissent. Human rights advocates, political opposition, union leaders, journalists and minority groups are often targeted. The Q&A addresses key concepts and terminology; the main contexts in which it happens in Africa; the main obstacles faced by victims seeking justice; and the shortcomings in the available data. It also offers guidance on how to mitigate the risks to journalists and victims when reporting on enforced disappearances.