Dr Elina Steinerte of the Human Rights Implementation Centre (HRIC) is travelling this week to Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic) to take part in the major international conference ‘Istanbul Protocol Implementation: Transforming Regional Experiences into International Norms for Effective Torture Investigation and Documentation’. The event, organised by the Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan and the Coalition against Torture of Kyrgyzstan with the financial support of the European Union, will take place in the Kyrgyz capital from 21-22 September 2016.

This major event brings together leading world experts on the fight against torture, including the chairpersons and members of the UN treaty bodies and Special Rapporteurs, with the aim of discussing the effective implementation of ‘the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment’, otherwise known as the Istanbul Protocol.

Elina has been instrumental in bringing together the session on the Role of Preventive Monitoring Bodies vis-à-vis the Istanbul Protocol and will be moderating the session as well as presenting on the Istanbul Protocol at the hands of the National Preventive Mechanisms.

Elina’s participation in the event is yet another engagement in the country as the HRIC, Elina has worked extensively in the Kyrgyz Republic, providing comments on numerous drafts of the national legislation concerning the National Preventive Mechanism.