Despite the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under international law, notably art. 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, such practices continue to occur in various forms and contexts worldwide.
This event will provide a platform for a debate, with relevant contributions including the voice of prominent survivors' testimonies, institutional and civil society interventions, as the UN Special Rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards, and Lorent Saleh, awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament in 2017.
The European Parliament had previously expressed concerns regarding developments in Tanzania in two resolutions addressing the post-election killings and the imprisonment of the political opponent Tundu Lissu, and in an earlier resolution objecting the 2025 Annual Action Plan proposed by the European Commission.
The discussion will feature a panel including human right defenders as well as representatives from the Commission and the EEAS.The next ordinary meeting of the Subcommittee on Human Rights is scheduled to take place on 22-23 June 2026 in Brussels.
The joint AFET and DROI exchange of views with Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, will take place on Thursday, 25 June in Brussels.