Today, October 25, 2016, the Council for the Prevention of Torture was established according to the Law nr. 52 with regards to the Ombudsman.
Our colleague, Svetlana Doltu, is among the people who have been selected as a result of the open competition organized by the Office of the Ombudsman to be part of the new composition of the Council for the Prevention of Torture.
The new Council members were nominated by the civil society and were selected for a term of 5 years, which cannot be renewed.
The Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for children's rights are rightful members of the Council. The new Council composition has as members: Mihail Gorincioi, lawyer at the "Law Center of Lawyers"; Svetlana Doltu, public health program manager at NGO "AFI"; Radu Nicoară, lawyer at the Institute for Humans Rights; Oxana Gumennaia, psychologist, member of Council for Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality; Ceslav Panico, lawyer at the Institute for Penal Reforms.
The Council's activity has the purpose of protecting people againts torture and other punishments or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. It functions as a national mechanism to prevent torture, in conformity with the optional Protocol to the Convention against torture and other punishments or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatments.
In the Republic of Moldova, the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture was establsihed in 2007. Since its activity started, more than 1200 visits were conducted to the places where there are or may be held detainees. These visits aimed to prevent abuse and make recommendations designed to improve the situation of persons placed into state's custody.