Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Al Mezan) held a specialized training course entitled “International standards on the rights of victims of violence and ill-treatment to obtain adequate reparation including rehabilitation and access to justice”, at Roots hotel in Gaza City. The approximately 40 participants comprised staff members of civil society organizations, human rights organizations, heads of accident and emergency departments at Palestinian hospitals in the Gaza Strip, and Gaza Community Mental Health Program. The training was delivered over seven days, beginning on Saturday, 3 September 2016 and ending on Friday, 9 September 2016.  

Mrs. Shirin Al Shobaki, coordinator of the training and mass communications unit at Al Mezan, opened the course by welcoming the participants and the trainers, Dr. Pau Perez Sales, a medical expert of torture, and Helena Solà Martín, a lawyer at the World Organization against Torture. Mrs. Al Shobaki stated that the course was the first of its kind to be implemented in the Gaza Strip. Mrs. Al Shobaki said that the course aimed at enabling the participants to effectively utilize mechanisms of redress to fulfill victims’ rights, to enable the victims to be rehabilitated, and to manage the victims’ cases in line with the Istanbul Protocol standards and guidelines.

The trainers thanked Al Mezan for organizing the training and for giving them the opportunity to visit occupied Palestine. The trainers aimed at increasing the capacity of the participants to effectively manage cases of ill-treatment and torture, and at raising their awarness about various technical aspects of torture practices and intervention.

The participants received practical training on, inter alia, applying the Convention against Torture, urgent appeals/letters of allegation to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Special Procedures, the Human Rights Council complaint mechanism, the Istanbul Protocol, and rehabilitation.  

In line with Al Mezan’s objective to combat torture and ill-treatment of the Palestinian population, the final day of the training was comprised of training of trainers sessions for Al Mezan staff.

At the end of the training, Mr. Issam Younis, Al Mezan’s director, thanked the participants for their commitment to the course and to overall aim of combatting torture. He talked about the importance of raising awareness of torture and effectively accessing a victim’s rights. The participants were awarded certificates.

Project funded by the European Union - Joint Project of Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Adalah, and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, in cooperation with the Treatment & Rehabilitation Center and Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP). The contents of this conference are the sole responsibility of Al Mezan and under no circumstances should be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.