Dakar, June 30 (APS) – The magistrate, Madiaw Diaw, was installed on Thursday, in his functions as National Observer of Places of Deprivation of Liberty (ONLPL), during a handover ceremony with the outgoing, Josette Marceline Lopez Ndiaye.
The current ONLPL observer who was deputy prosecutor and deputy prosecutor, was installed in his new position by the Inspector General of the Administration of Justice, Cheikh Tidiane Lam.
The new National Observer of Places of Deprivation of Liberty (ONLPL) has assured of its commitment to take care of the conditions of detention of prisoners, the treatment, the best they should and can have at the level of detention centers.
Madiaw Diaw said he had always visited detention houses and had always had to make reports in this regard.
“We have always really had to challenge the competent authorities on these conditions. So the path continues”, informed the magistrate.
The outgoing Josette Marceline Lopez Ndiaye, for her part, called for more functional and budgetary independence of the National Observer of Places of Deprivation of Liberty (ONLPL) in order to help it better face its current challenges.
“The ONLPL needs more functional and budgetary independence to better face the current challenges,” she said in particular.
“This is what the United Nations Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT) has constantly recommended in its reports on its visit to Senegal from 2012 to 2019”, recalled Josette Marceline Lopez Ndiaye.
According to her, “strengthening this mechanism is therefore imperative for maintaining its notoriety, but also and above all to allow it to remain the objective and responsible eye of the State to support it in its policy of promotion and protection of human rights”.
Josette Marceline Lopez Ndiaye expressed her satisfaction at having been able to achieve many of her goals despite all the challenges and obstacles.
She maintained that for the period from 2017 to 2022, the ONLPL carried out 77 visits to Gendarmerie units, 69 visits to Police units, 67 visits to penitentiary establishments, seven visits to psychiatric structures and two visits to centers closed for minors.
Ms. Ndiaye assured that all these visits were followed by reports containing recommendations and proposals, transmitted to the authorities.
AN / SG / ASB