The Committee was alarmed by reports of extremely concerning detention conditions, including chronic overcrowding resulting from excessive and prolonged use of pretrial detention and the limited application of alternatives to imprisonment. Libreville prison, for instance, reportedly reached an overcrowding rate of 400-700% in 2026. The Committee urged Gabon to align detention conditions with the Nelson Mandela Rules, allocate adequate resources, strengthen international cooperation, urgently reduce overcrowding through greater use of alternatives to detention, and ensure pretrial detention is used only exceptionally.
The Committee noted that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was designated as Gabon's National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in 2024. It regretted, however, that they are not yet operational, particularly because members have not yet been appointed and human and material resources have not been sufficiently allocated. It also noted that the State Party plans to amend the law to remove barriers that may pose obstacles to legal and medical professionals serving as members. The Committee stated that Gabon should urgently operationalise the NHRC and NPM, ensure a transparent selection process, and guarantee their independence and impartiality.
Italy
The Committee took note of the challenges Italy faces due to fluctuating migration flows, including intermittent increases in arrivals. However, it expressed concern over allegations of pushbacks at the borders, Italy's continued cooperation with the Libyan coastguard under its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Libya, and its use of migration detention facilities in Albania. The Committee recommended that Italy uphold the principle of non-refoulement and review the implementation of its 2017 MOU with Libya to ensure full compliance with its obligations under the Convention. It also asked Italy to ensure legal clarity regarding its responsibilities under the Convention in respect of detainees held abroad, including investigating allegations of torture, receiving complaints, ensuring redress, and responding to individual complaints.
The Committee also expressed concern about special detention regimes, including those established under certain provisions of the Penitentiary Act and the Criminal Code, as such regimes could involve conditions amounting to prolonged solitary confinement, exceeding the 15-day limit under international standards. The Committee recommended that Italy strictly limit such regimes to cases of absolute necessity and ensure that restrictive measures are individualised, proportionate and regularly reviewed. It also called on Italy to use solitary confinement only exceptionally, as a last resort, for the shortest possible time, and to set a 15-day maximum in law and practice.
Pakistan
The Committee expressed its deep concern about the deportation of large numbers of Afghan nationals, including children, from Pakistan following the adoption of the 2023 Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan, without any individual assessment of their protection needs and risks of refoulement. It further raised serious concern about the alleged coercive measures used against Afghans, including registered refugees, to pressure them to return to Afghanistan, where they could be at risk of persecution, torture or ill-treatment. These coercive measures reportedly include harassment and intimidation, threats of deportation, police abuse, extortion, raids and arbitrary detention. The Committee called on Pakistan to consider repealing or reviewing the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan, which poses serious risks for non-citizens, in particular Afghan nationals, and to investigate all alleged police abuse against Afghans and discipline or criminally sanction those responsible.
The Committee was concerned about reports of torture and ill-treatment and other forms of retaliation against human rights defenders, civil society activists, journalists, lawyers, political opponents, protesters and other critics of the Government. These acts include intimidation, threats, harassment, excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention, prosecution on politically motivated charges, including before military courts, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial execution. The Committee urged Pakistan to take the necessary measures to ensure that these people are adequately protected from torture and ill-treatment and other forms of reprisals, and that all human rights violations are thoroughly investigated, those responsible are brought to justice and that victims are provided with effective remedies.
The Committee also expressed its concern about the situation of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, as well as other activists, including Idris Khattak, Ali Wazir and Mahrang Baloch, whose arbitrary detentions were confirmed by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, especially with regard to their access to medical care. It recommended that the State Party review the situation of all those who have allegedly been detained and imprisoned on political grounds or in retaliation for their work and ensure that they have access to adequate medical care in detention.
Tajikistan
The Committee was alarmed by reported deaths in police custody allegedly linked to torture or ill-treatment, coerced confessions, and denial of medical care in penal institutions. It also raised concern about the ineffective investigations and insufficient explanations of their causes. It further questioned the independence of forensic documentation, as the forensic medical institute operates under State authority. The Committee called on Tajikistan to ensure that all deaths in custody are promptly and impartially investigated, including through independent forensic examinations in accordance with the Minnesota Protocol, and to intensify efforts to establish an independent forensic medical institution.
The Committee noted Tajikistan's efforts to monitor places of deprivation of liberty, including visits by the Monitoring Group within the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights. It also referred to the high-level international conference held in February 2026 on possible ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. The Committee encouraged Tajikistan to accede to the Optional Protocol and establish, as a priority, an independent and adequately resourced National Preventive Mechanism. Meanwhile, it urged periodic independent monitoring of all places of deprivation of liberty, in line with international standards, including by civil society and relevant public authorities.
The above findings, officially known as Concluding Observations, are now available on the session page.
