From 16^th to 17^th January 2025, at Institute of Legal Practice and Development in Nyanza District, in partnership with the European Union Representation in Rwanda, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), designated as National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), conducted a training workshop targeting senior officers/officials from the Justice, Rule of Law and Order Sector (JRLOS), as the risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment is particularly high during the first hours of police custody and the subsequent criminal investigations, including during the questioning and interviewing of suspects, witnesses and victims; during the delay and deny of justice and during the period of correction.

The training workshop was organized to equip participants with the skills needed to more effectively carry out their daily duties. The focus of the training was on protecting the basic legal rights of suspects, individuals who are arrested, accused, detained, and incarcerated, as well as witnesses. Participants learnt more how to treat these individuals more humanely, safeguarding them from cruel or abusive treatment, and ensuring their right to a fair trial.

The training workshop provided opportunities for participants to share their work experiences to ensure the respect of human rights in detention facilities and to address challenges that may arise in detention, judicial, and correctional settings.

The training brought together the second cohort of around 74 senior officers/officials from Rwanda National Police (RNP), Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS).