OSCE promotes respect for rights of detainees in Azerbaijan

The OSCE Office in Baku supported a training course for police officers on the treatment of suspects and the accused in custody in the city of Sheki in north-western Azerbaijan on 18 and 19 October 2012.

The purpose of this training activity was to enhance the professional skills of police officers working at detention facilities in the regions and encourage greater respect for the rights of detainees.

Supervisors and representatives from security departments of police stations from the Sheki region took part in the training conducted by an international expert and local experts from the Interior Ministry and the Ombudsman Office. They focused on international standards concerning detention conditions and the treatment of detainees in line with the provisions of the new Law on ensuring the rights and freedoms of the individuals kept in detention. The law entered into force in July 2012. The event participants also discussed the role of the National Preventive Mechanism in ensuring compliance with the standards related to respecting rights of suspects and the accused in custody in order to prevent any form of ill-treatment.