UN special envoy Nowak on HR tour in Sri Lanka

(October, 02, Colombo, Lanka Guardian) Proffesor Manfred Nowak is the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. He is also member of the EU Network of Independent Experts in Fundamental Rights and he lectures Constitutional Law and Human Rights at the University of Vienna and co-Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights (BIM), began his week-long tour of the island yesterday (October 01st) by meeting the Justice Minister, military commanders, the Prisons chief and other officials, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

Earlier in the day, the UN special envoy held opening discussions on his agenda with the Human Rights Minister and officials of the Foreign Ministry.

At the conclusion of his visit, Nowak will present a report to the UN Human Rights Council after assessing the legal system, detention process, enforced disappearances, torture and other human rights related issues.

He is also expected to hold a news conference later this week.

The UN special envoy has already presented a report regarding previous country visits to the UN General Assembly and the UNHRC and this report included his announcement on his visit to Sri Lanka.

Nowak’s visit will be followed by that of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour. Her assessment is to be presented to the UNHRC, which concluded its sixth session in Geneva.