The Office of the People’s Ombudsperson has announced a contest to choose members of the Torture Prevention Council. The candidates must have higher education in the relevant areas, IPN reports.

The Torture Prevention Council is created under the Office of the People’s Ombudsperson with the aim of protecting persons against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment. The Council’s mission is to make preventive and monitoring visits to places where there are or can be persons deprived of liberty, to draw up reports as a result of these visits, to formulate recommendations concerning the improvement of the treatment of persons deprived of liberty and to submit proposals for improving the legislation with the aim of eliminating the causes and conditions that create preconditions for violating human rights.

The Council members have the right to a remuneration of 10% of the average monthly official salary for each day that they pay preventive visits to detention places or take part in meetings.

The candidates must have higher education in law, medicine, psychology, teacher training, social assistance or other relevant areas; seniority of at least three years and experience in the area of human rights; no criminal record; no public post or post in the law enforcement agencies. These must also not be members of Parliament or of a political party.

The deadline for submissions is July 29, 5pm. Applications can be submitted to Chisinau, 16 Sfatul Tarii St or to the email address l.tudosan@inst.ombudsman.md.