The head of the Council of Europe’s Office in Chisinau, José Luis Herrero, welcomes the establishment of the Council for the Prevention of Torture as a national mechanism for the prohibition and prevention of torture under the People’s Advocate Office of the Republic of Moldova, IPN reports.

According to a statement by the official, the primary mandate of the mechanism is to provide protection to people against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in accordance with the Law on People’s Advocate of the Republic of Moldova of 2014 and the Optional Protocol of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The mechanism will carry out its mandate through preventive monitoring visits to places of deprivation of liberty and reporting on the situation in these institutions.

Since the adoption of the new Law on the People’s Advocate of the Republic of Moldova, the Council of Europe has provided extensive expert and technical support to the Moldovan authorities in establishing a mechanism for the prevention of torture in line with the new legislation. Though the legislation in place needs further clarifications and improvements, it provides a sound ground for the functioning of the mechanism. The Council of Europe hopes that the mechanism will fulfil its mandate in an efficient and effective manner.

The Council of Europe stands ready to further support the People’s Advocate Office of the Republic of Moldova and the newly established Council for the Prevention of Torture to enhance their capacities in implementing their functions as to effectively preventing torture and ill-treatment in Moldova, in line with the European and international standards.