Do not torture the suspects, police CHRAJ | Social

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has asked Ghanaian police officers and other national security agencies not to torture the suspects.

Dr. Isaac Annan, Director of Human Rights at CHRAJ, said that security officials should be alert and be guided by Rwandan human rights guidelines to arrest, detain, and detain people. and bring the suspects to court.

Dr. Annan provided advice on a day-long awareness program for 105 police officers in the Tema Police District on human rights intervention with key populations, people living with HIV (PLHIV) and patients with TB.

He stated that Ghana was a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Therefore, officers must strive not to violate it.

Article 1 of the Convention states in part that "Torture means any act whereby a person is intentionally inflicted with physical or mental pain or suffering, for example by obtaining from himself or from a third person information or confessions, by punishing him for an act that he or a third party committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidated or coerced … "

It noted that torture in this context constituted the exercise of coercive state power by the police or any security officer indicating that any act by officers undermining the dignity of suspects constituted torture.

According to him, "as a public officer, you have the power to do your job but, in doing so, you must make sure that you do not violate the rights of the people", adding that "if you slap the person, use unreasonable force and put the person in a situation, perhaps in a corner and not having access to essential items, without access to food, drugs or his lawyers, this is a act of torture ".

Dr. Annan urged all those who had been tortured in any form to seek redress in court or to report to CHRAJ, as this was against the laws of Ghana.

He also encouraged public officials, especially police officers, to appear before his office in the event of discrimination or administrative injustice by their superiors or civilians.

There are a number of cases of alleged torture against the police, the National Investigation Bureau (BNI) and other state agents, the most recent being the charge of torture in the country. Against ModernGhana. BNI journalists.