The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) invited Dr. Pavel Doubek, a human rights lawyer from the Czech Republic, to speak on the Czech Republic's "National Preventive Mechanism of Torture" in the afternoon on November 23rd. Dr. Song Cheng-En, a frequent international politics commentator on political TV shows, was invited to interpret the speech.
Nearly 40 people attended the lecture, including NHRC Vice Chairperson Kao Yung-cheng, NHRC members Wang Yu-ling, Chi Hui-jung, Yeh Ta-hua, Tien Chiu-chin, Upay Radiw Kanasaw, Hsiao Tzu-yu, Chang Chu-fang, Judy, Fu-meei Ju (Secretary General of the Control Yuan), as well as investigators and NHRC staff. The participants engaged in fruitful discussions.
Pavel Doubek first introduced the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), explained the definition of "torture" and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment under the United Nations Convention against Torture, and shared experiences of his visits.
Pavel Doubek talked about important matters regarding the NPM, such as how to set the theme, how to cooperate with professionals, the division of roles in visits, and how to interact with the interviewees, etc., which are very inspiring for the future operation of the NHRC and will be conducive to the future connection of NHRC with the international community.
Regarding the principles of NPM visits, Doubek further shared that it is essential to avoid causing harm to the interviewees, pay attention to the necessary procedures(e.g. the medical treatment procedures), and conduct visits with constructive and integrated dialogues. More importantly, any conclusion made after the visit should be supported by relevant evidence.
During the Q&A session, Pavel Doubek had good discussions with the NHRC members. Although there was Song Cheng-En, a doctoral candidate in international law from the University of Oxford, UK, to be the interpreter, Doubek said that he would like to give a speech on the national preventive mechanism of torture in Mandarin next time.
Pavel Doubek is also a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Law, Academia Sinica, and specializes in the UN Convention against Torture and the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) of torture. Experienced Doubek has also participated in the Czech government's NPM program.