The Austrian Ombudsman Board welcomes Lebanese Delegation

November 17, 2017

Experts from the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) welcomed the Anti-Torture Committee of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) for an exchange of experiences. The study trip was organized by the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

 After introducing the structure, responsibilities and activities of the AOB, the functioning of the Austrian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) was presented in detail. The Lebanese delegation showed great interest, particularly in the practical experiences in the methodology for the prevention of torture and humiliating treatment as well as in the corresponding procedural steps.

 The former Serbian Ombudsman, Mr. Saša Janković, who accompanied the Lebanese delegation as an external advisor, also presented the existing structures for torture prevention in the Republic of Serbia. This allowed for a further exchange of experiences between Austria, Serbia and Lebanon in order to solve common problems in police detention and the penitentiary system.

 Guided tours through the Police Detention Facility Roßauer Lände and the Prison Korneuburg were also part of the visit and offered excellent insights into the Austrian practice. Experts of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Justice respectively answered the many questions the delegation had in detail and added to the successful exchange of information.