An Overview of Torture Prevention Systems in Russia, Lithuania, Sweden and Norway

The very nature of detention means that those subjected to it are dependent on detaining authorities to provide protection and to refrain from human rights abuses, including torture and ill treatment. Recognising this, the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) obliges signatories to establish detention monitoring bodies through National Preventative Mechanisms (NPMs). Whilst some regions have received considerable attention in terms of CAT and OPCAT compliance, this has not generally been so for the region incorporating Russia, Nordic and Baltic countries. Noting the shared responsibility and need for a regional approach to the eradication of torture, An Overview of Torture Prevention Systems in Russia, Lithuania, Sweden and Norway is a joint effort between four non-government human rights organisations, and forms part of a broader project on regional