United Nations Radio

A group of independent human rights experts has expressed strong support for the UN High Commissioner’s initiative on improving respect for the human rights of detainees.

In a statement at the start of “Dignity and Justice for Detainees Week” Monday, the thirteen experts say a serious problem they encounter as they carry out their mandates around the world is that often there are no proper records of detainees.

What is even worse, they add, is that detainees are held in places of detention that are not officially recognized.

The experts also expressed great concern that many people should not be deprived of their liberty at all, since their detention is arbitrary.

Others are being detained solely on the basis of administrative orders unrelated to the criminal justice system, for example irregular migrants.

They say deprivation of liberty as such, whether lawful or not, makes persons extremely vulnerable to a broad range of human rights violations.

They point out that often detention places undue restrictions on detainees including access to health care and on their rights to food, education, privacy, family life and to participate in the political life of their country.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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