The Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has completed an official visit to Senegal. In a communiqué published at the end of her stay, she formulated several recommendations, including the abrogation of the amnesty law covering the events that occurred between March 2021 and February 2024. Alice Jill Edwards urged the Senegalese government to revert to this law, arguing that it has “the obligation to establish the truth about these events, to render justice and to grant reparations to the victims”. In the light of the conclusions of the European Council in Madrid, the Commission has decided to extend the scope of its mandate to include the following areas: the fight against terrorism, the fight against organised crime, the fight against organised crime and the fight against organised crime. She underlined the need to review existing practices and ensure better compliance with international human rights standards. “I urge Senegal to repeal the amnesty law which grants immunity from prosecution to persons who have been involved in the use of excessive force and other human rights violations committed during demonstrations between March 2021 and February 2024”, Ms Edwards declared. She insisted that “the government has an obligation to establish the truth about these events, to render justice and to provide reparations to the victims in the shortest possible time”. Furthermore, Alice Jill Edwards called on the Senegalese government to consider joining the Alliance for Trade without Torture, an international initiative to regulate the use, production and trade of equipment for law enforcement purposes.
Law of amnesty: The UN Special Rapporteur enters the dance and demands…
