AMMAN — The
Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY) and
Mizan for Law in partnership with the Judicial Council, conducted a workshop on
Tuesday on the Mendez Principles — the principles for effective interviewing
for investigations and information gathering.
اضافة اعلان
Funded by the
German Federal Foreign Office (FFO) and the
Danish-Arab Partnership Program (DAPP), the workshop revolved around the Mendez
Principles, which were established by a group of American and European
anti-torture and human rights non-profit organizations, following a report
submitted by Juan E. Mendez to the
UN General Assembly calling for the
development of a universal set of standards for non-coercive interviewing and associated
procedural safeguards during investigations.
The workshop started off with a panel discussion featuring
the director of the
Judicial Institute, Judge Nawal Jawhri, Amman
attorney-general, Judge Hassan Abdallat, executive-director of Mizan for Law,
Eva Abu Halaweh, and the Jordan country-director for DIGNITY, Yasar Abdou, and
was attended by several officers of the Public Security, attorneys, and members
of human rights organizations.
“These workshops are vital to learn about the most up to
date techniques in investigative interviews with inmates in correctional
facilities, and suspects,” Abdallat said in remarks to Jordan News, adding that
“it is important to train security personnel, police officers, and public
attorneys on these procedures”
Regarding investigation techniques in Jordan, Abdallat said
that security personnel are trained on a regular basis, but that “finding new
guarantees that can ensure the quality of investigation is always very
important.”
“I believe that voice
recording can be an added guarantee that is possible to implement in Jordan,
not only when investigating suspects, but also while interviewing inmates on
mistreatment or torture in correctional or temporary holding facilities,” said
Abdallat. He added that it would not be easy to implement new procedures for
arresting officers and investigators, but “if there was a consensus on
implementing it, and if proper training is carried out” it would prove to be an
added benefit to the interviewing process.
“The phenomenon of torture is non-existent in Jordan. In my
23 years at the Public Prosecution, we have received one or two torture cases,”
stated Abdallat, “but there are individual cases of mistreatment, violations by
police officers have happened and have been reported”
The workshop featured two experts, professor of Criminal
Investigation, Ray Bull, and head of the Legal Department at DIGNITY, and
vice-president of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture,
Therese Rytter.
Bull’s sessions focused on the scientific foundations and
methodology of effective interviewing and their significance for criminal
investigations, and the background and purpose of the Mendez Principles. While
Rytter’s session was on the legal foundations and safeguards dimension of
effective interviewing, and the preconditions for the effective implementation
of the Mendez Principles in practice.
“From the moment of arrest, till the defendant stands in a
courtroom in front of a judge, there are safeguards that govern that process,
therefor the Mendez Principles are there to ensure the flow of just and fair
judicial procedures” Abdou told Jordan News.
“In this workshop, attendance and engagement with members of
the Judicial Council, Public Prosecution, and Public Security, presents an
opportunity for them to share challenges they face in their line of work in
implementing the Mendez Principles and standards of human rights practices,”
Abdou said. “This opens a door for a new phase to start programs that enhance
the skills and educate practitioners on how to implement these principles
effectively,” she added.
Read more National news
.jpg)
.jpg)
