OSCE trains law enforcement officials in Azerbaijan on standards for arrest and pre-trial detention

The OSCE Office in Baku trained 12 law enforcement officials in the newly adopted legislation on the rights and freedoms of individuals kept in detention from 27 to 29 June 2013.

The training session brought together representatives from all the national agencies involved in the treatment of suspects and accused as well as those involved in preventing and addressing any form of ill-treatment through judicial remedies under domestic law. The session followed a “train-the-trainers” format to increase the potential reach of the training.

“The new law, if duly implemented, is a strong tool and a milestone opportunity to guarantee the procedural rights of all parties involved in the pre-trial detention process,” said Giovanni Galzignato, Head of the Rule of Law and Human Rights Unit at the OSCE Office in Baku.

In the framework of its detention monitoring programme, the OSCE Office in Baku has already organized a series of similar training activities in the past with the aim of assisting the Azerbaijani authorities in improving compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards related to the treatment of detainees held in police custody and pre-trial detention.

The training session was organized by the OSCE Office in Baku and the Council of Europe Office in Azerbaijan in co-operation with the national civil society organization, Azerbaijan Lawyers` Confederation.