Chile Approves UN
Protocol Against Torture
SANTIAGO - Chile's
Senate Thursday approved
the UN Convention
against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or
Punishment.
The treaty obliges
signatory countries to
have one or more
national prevention
organizations to perform
periodic visits to
prisons to verify
whether they fulfill its
principles.
Senator Jaime Gazmuri
said, "The sub-committee
of the UN and the
national organizations
only have the capacity
to prevent or suggest,
with no assignations of
jurisdiction."
According to Judicial
Prosecutor of the
Supreme Court Monica
Maldonado, the Chilean
prisons were "very
crowded, with bad
sanitary conditions and
lack a rehabilitation
system."
The senators also agreed
an initiative to allow
periodic visits to the
detention centers to
help prevent
mistreatment of
prisoners.
Senator Hernan Larrain
said, "Chile can't be
absent of the discussion
about the prisoners, the
situation in prisons is
grave, the number of
prisoners increased from
38,000 in 2003 to 48,998
in 2008."
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