Prevention through Documentation

The Prevention through Documentation Project aims to combat torture and impunity by promoting the global implementation of the Istanbul Protocol and by mobilising the knowledge about torture accumulated in rehabilitation centres. The project embraces a range of activities relating to capacity building, advocacy and awareness raising targeted at health and legal professionals, human rights organizations decision-makers and journalists. All activities are planned and implemented in close collaboration with national partners to ensure ownership and sustainability. The project builds upon the momentum and lessons learned generated by a two-year pilot project (2003-2005) and is implemented in ten target countries. The present application relates purely to one of these, namely Egypt.

The overall objective of the project is to make a tangible contribution to the prevention of torture worldwide and obtain justice/reparation for victims of torture through systematized and high-quality documentation of torture. In specific, the project has three objectives, all of which are valid in Egypt:

o Increased and improved investigation, documentation and reporting on torture
o Increased awareness about torture, documentation and the Istanbul Protocol
o Assessment of the potential impact of effective documentation in the prevention of torture