8293: Dominican Republic: UN Human Rights Committee's recommendations must beimplemented (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Antoine Blanc <ablanc@acn2.net>

* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *

13 June 2001
AMR 27/006/2001
97/01


Following the publication of the United Nations Human Rights
Committee's recommendations to the Dominican Republic, Amnesty
International is publishing today a report outlining its human
rights concerns in the country.

     "Complying with the Committee's recommendations would
mark a crucially important step towards ensuring full respect for
human rights in the country," Amnesty International said, urging
the Dominican authorities to publicly commit themselves to doing
so and to adopt concrete measures to this end.

     Amnesty International's areas of concern -- which were
also highlighted by  the Committee -- include:

Illegal killings by security forces and the widespread impunity
enjoyed by those responsible;

Serious allegations of widespread cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment of detainees;

The deterioration of prison conditions, resulting from extreme
overcrowding and the lack of a specialized corps of prison guards;

The increasing number of people in prolonged pre-trial detention;

The existence of a separate judicial system for the police, which
is incompatible with the principle of equality before the law;

The treatment of Haitians and suspected Haitians, including
frequent reports of mass deportations and of cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment.

Background
On 23 March 2001, the UN Human Rights Committee examined the
Dominican Republic's fourth periodic report on compliance with
the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights.

     Noting that previous recommendations have not been acted
on, the Committee required the Dominican Republic to submit
within a year a report on the measures taken to comply with the
recommendations regarding illegal killings by security forces,
torture and excessive use of force, pre-trial detention, prisons
and the situation of Haitians in the country.

The report will be accessible on the web at:
http://www.web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/amr27032001 .