Lawsuit in defense of the National Committee to Prevent and Combat Torture

The Arns Commission has sent letters to federal deputies on August 23, 2021, requesting the approval of Draft Bill No. 389/2019, under the rapporteurship of Federal Deputy Erika Kokay, which aims to halt the effects of decrees that alter the structures of the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights, and the composition and operation of the National Committee to Prevent and Combat Torture (CNPCT).

Pointing out unlawful legislative conduct by the President of the Republic, which extrapolates his constitutional powers, the document records that Draft Bill No. 389 is necessary to promote the effectiveness of the National Mechanism for the Prevention and Combat of Torture provided for in Federal Law No. 12,847/13, which created the National System for the Prevention and Combat of Torture. The Draft Bill’s approval is also necessary for the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, enacted by Decree No. 6,085/2007.”

The Arns Commission understands that it is necessary to guarantee technical, financial, and administrative support, including through the provision of independent technical experts, in addition to maintaining the criteria of diversity and representativeness for the composition of the CNPCT.