Documenting Torture in Europe International Multiplier Conference...

Documenting Torture in Europe

International Multiplier Conference

Friday 15 March 2013

University of Leuven (Belgium)

Venue: Small Aula (room 00.15), Faculty of Theology,

Maria Theresia College, Leuven

Free participation but advance registration required

INTRODUCTION
Torture and related acts constitute one of the most common and devastating challenges to
the physical and mental health of individuals, groups and society. Not only do they affect the
well-being of individuals in their countries of origin or in host countries in Europe, they also
have an impact on the way in which government services and professionals deal with their
consequences. Ill-treatment and torture still occur in many parts of the world and also
Europe faces the problems associated with this social plague.
The Istanbul Protocol (Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) is the joint United Nations
and World Medical Association standard for training in the “assessment of persons who
allege torture and ill treatment, for investigating cases of alleged torture, and for reporting
such findings to the judiciary and any other investigative body”. It sets out concrete
strategies to make the existing standards about torture better known around the world and
became an official UN document in 1999.

OBJECTIVES AND STRUCTURE OF THE CONFERENCE
On Friday 15 March an international conference on ‘Documenting Torture in Europe’
will be held at the University of Leuven (Belgium). It is designed as a multiplier
conference and foremost aimed at professionals from the health and legal sciences and
professions, who are keen to learn about the Istanbul Protocol and its practical use in
medical protocols and legal procedures. It is therefore open to private practitioners,
government officials and civil servants, non-governmental organisations, the media, and
other professionals interested to further disseminate the information.
After a general introduction of the existing international instruments against torture and the
specific contribution of the Istanbul Protocol, two sets of parallel workshops will focus on the
particular aspects for the health profession and the legal profession. Specific attention is also
given in two consecutive creative workshops to the elaboration of visual training aids for the
further dissemination of the Istanbul Protocol and the fight against torture in general. These
workshops are run by high-level facilitators who possess ample experience in working with
the Istanbul Protocol and presenting it to professional audiences. All participants are offered
a broad introduction into the interdisciplinary aspects of the Istanbul protocol that will support
them when participating in the fight against torture and inhuman and degrading treatment.

PRACTICAL ASPECTS
The multiplier conference ‘Documenting Torture in Europe’ is organised under the auspices
of ART-IP project (Awareness Raising and Training Measures for the Istanbul Protocol in
Europe), by a local team from the Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC) composed of Prof.
Stephan Parmentier, Zoë Cosemans, Ben Heylen, and Sonja Wellens. Questions about the
conference programme can be directed to zoe.cosemans@law.kuleuven.be. More
information about LINC can be found on its website: www.law.kuleuven.be/linc.
The conference is held on the premises of the University of Leuven (Belgium), in particular in
the Small Aula (room 00.15) of the Faculty of Theology, situated in the Maria Theresia
College, Sint Michielsstraat 4, Leuven. The main entrance can be found right off the
Hogeschoolplein in the historic centre of Leuven: www.leuven.be.
Participants coming by public transport can take buses to the city centre and get off at the
Pieter De Somerplein (close to the town hall), and walk ten minutes to the conference venue.
Participants coming by car can use the underground parking space on Ladeuzeplein (close
to the central university library) and walk ten minutes to the conference venue.

REGISTRATION
The multiplier conference is organised with the financial support of the Leonardo Lifelong
Learning Programme, DG Education and Culture of the European Commission in Brussels.
It is free for all participants but all have to register beforehand, and by 8 MARCH at the
latest, with the secretariat of the Leuven Institute of Criminology. Please send an email
to sonja.wellens@law.kuleuven.be with the following information:
- the name and first name of the person(s) attending
- the institutional affiliation or specific area of interest
- contact details (telephone, fax and email address) to allow for further communication
about the conference.
Please note that there are a limited number of places available and it is therefore
highly advisable to register as soon as possible.

ABOUT THE ART-IP PROJECT (Awareness Raising and Training Measures for the
Istanbul Protocol in Europe)
The multiplier conference marks the final event organised under the auspices of the ART-IP
project (Awareness Raising and Training Measures for the Istanbul Protocol in Europe).
Coordinated by Prof. Thomas Wenzel and Dr. Wolfgang Eisenreich, the ART-IP project has
run between January 2011 and March 2013 and included the following partners: Medical
University of Vienna (MUW, Austria), University of Leuven (Leuven Institute of Criminology,
Belgium), University of Vienna (Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights, Austria), Greek
Academic Network (GUnet, Greece), University of Erlangen (Nürnberg, Germany),
Wissenschaftsinitiative Niederösterreich (Austria), Gerechtigkeit heilt (Bochum, Germany),
Integra (Velenje, Slovenia) and KTP (Brno, Czech Republic). Please find more information
on www.istanbulprotocol.info.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication
reflects the views only of the author(s), and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

MORNING
Chairperson: Em. Prof. Marc Bossuyt, University of Antwerp, and President,
Constitutional Court of Belgium

9:30-9:45 Welcome and introduction to the conference
Prof. Bernard Tilleman, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of
Leuven
Prof. Stephan Parmentier, University of Leuven

9:45-10:15 Introducing the ART-IP project (Awareness Raising and Training
Measures for the Istanbul Protocol in Europe)
Prof. Thomas Wenzel, Medical University of Vienna and ART-IP project
coordinator
Dr. Wolfgang Eisenreich, Wissenschaftsinitiative Niederösterreich and
ART-IP project coordinator

10:15-11:00 The International Fight Against Torture and the Istanbul Protocol
Prof. Manfred Nowak, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights,
Vienna
Prof. Sebnem Korur Fincanci, Istanbul University and Galatasaray
University

11:00-11:30 Health break

11:30-13:00 Parallel workshops:
1. Health profession, facilitated by Prof. Duarte Nuno Vieira, University
of Coimbra and European Council of Legal Medicine
2. Legal profession, facilitated by Dr. Anna-Lena Svensson-McCarthy,
Human Rights Consultant, Switzerland
3. Creative workshop on The Map of Torture Prevention, facilitated by
Beáta Holá and Alžběta Strnadová, KTP, Brno

13:00-13:45 Lunch break

AFTERNOON
Chairperson: Em. Prof. Franz Baro, University of Leuven, and EXIL Centre for
Victims of Human Rights Violations, Brussels

13:45-15:15 Case-study and discussion:
1. Medical aspects, facilitated by Dr. Joost den Otter, International
Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, Copenhagen
2. Legal aspects, animated by Ms. Nieves Molina Clemente,
Copenhagen University
3. Creative workshop on The Ten Commandments of the Istanbul
Protocol, facilitated by Beáta Holá and Alžběta Strnadová, KTP,
Brno

15:15-15:45 Health Break

15:45-17:00 Roundtable with experts and general discussion
Dr. Jorge Barudy, EXIL Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations,
Brussels
Dr. Dadimos Haile, Redress, London
Dr. Caroline Schlar, Coordinator of the Istanbul Protocol, Istanbul

17:00-17:15 Closing
Prof. Thomas Wenzel, Medical University of Vienna and ART-IP project
coordinator

http://www.law.kuleuven.be/linc/studiedagen/ARTIP_multiplier%20conference_FIN_150213.pdf