On August 21, 2024, Virgílio da Silva Guterres ‘Lamukan,’ the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, and Paulo Remédios, the Deputy Minister of Justice, launched a critical training session on the Prevention of Torture for 25 prison guards. The session took place at the Ministry of Justice in Colmera, Dili.
During the opening, the Ombudsman highlighted that this training is part of a collaborative effort between the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), PDHJ, and the Ministry of Justice. He emphasized that PDHJ’s mandate, as outlined in Law No. 7/2004, specifically includes oversight of the Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL), the FALINTIL-Timor-Leste Defense Force (FALINTIL-FDTL), and the Prison Guards.
“The PDHJ, MJ, and APT work together to ensure these entities are trained to prevent human rights violations, especially torture against prisoners,” said the Ombudsman. He noted that Timor-Leste values human rights and aims to ensure that those serving sentences are treated with dignity.
Guterres also praised the prison guards for their dedication, highlighting that recent annual reports have shown no complaints against them. He reaffirmed that both the constitution and international agreements explicitly prohibit torture, emphasizing Timor-Leste’s strong commitment to human rights. This commitment is internationally recognized, as evidenced by the Nobel Peace Prizes awarded to two of its citizens, Jose Ramos Horta and Bisphop Carlos Ximenes Belo—the highest honour in the field of human rights.
Deputy Minister Remédios encouraged the trainees to fully engage in the three-day training, which will cover key topics such as implementing anti-torture rules, creating safe prison environments, protecting vulnerable prisoners, and collaborating with national stakeholders to prevent torture.
The training will continue until August 23, 2024, at the Ministry of Justice’s meeting room.
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