The role of police in preventing torture and protecting human rights
Meeting
- Date:
- Location:
- Meeting Room 1, Belweder, Sofitel Victoria, Królewska 11, Warsaw, Poland
- Organized by:
- OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Centre for Development and Justice International (CDJI)
- Source:
- OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
- Fields of work:
- Human rights
About the event
As part of the 2026 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, ODIHR and the Centre for Development and Justice International are bringing together law enforcement practitioners, human rights experts and civil society representatives to discuss how police can prevent torture and protect human rights during criminal investigations.
Safeguards from the earliest stages of detention are essential to preventing coercion and ensuring the reliability of evidence. Their importance is particularly clear in cases involving the death penalty, where coerced confessions and miscarriages of justice can have irreversible consequences.
The discussion will examine investigative safeguards, oversight and accountability, and practical approaches to interviewing that gather reliable information without coercion. Drawing on policing experience, including the PEACE model of investigative interviewing, speakers will explore how training, supervision and quality assurance can strengthen both criminal investigations and human rights protection.
The event will also include the launch of the The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area. Background Paper 2026.
The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area. Background Paper 2026
This new paper, which we'll launch during this event, updates The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area: Background Paper 2022.
It is intended to provide a concise update to highlight changes in the status of the death penalty in OSCE participating States since the previous publication and to promote constructive discussion of the issue. It covers the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 December 2025.
Speakers
- Susan Kerr, Head of the Human Rights Department, ODIHR — opening and closing remarks
- Ales Bialiatski, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, writer and human rights defender (video address)
- Elina Steinerte, Member of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and independent expert on torture prevention
- Neil Rawlinson and Gavin Seeley, Metropolitan Police Service, United Kingdom
- Azamat Shambilov, President, Centre for Development and Justice International
Moderator: Nini Sandborg, Adviser on Torture Prevention, ODIHR
Participation and contact
The side event is open to registered participants of the 2026 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.
For questions about this side event, please contact Nini Sandborg, ODIHR Adviser on Torture Prevention, at Nini.Sandborg@odihr.pl.
Contact
