IRRC No. 907/908/909

The prevention of torture in Rio de Janeiro: A study on the role of public defenders

Reading time 57 min read
Download PDF
This article is also available in

The attorneys of the Public Defender’s Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro (PDORJ) are heavily present in the penitentiary system of Rio de Janeiro, individually meeting the vast majority of detainees and conducting monitoring visits. This article presents the work of the PDORJ in the prison system, focusing on its role in the prevention of torture. Based on semi-structured interviews with public defenders, the article explains the paradox between the extensive presence of the PDORJ in the prison system and the few instances of torture that are officially reported. It also presents recommendations aimed at better identifying and responding to accounts of torture.

Download PDF

Continue reading #IRRC No. 907/908/909

All articles

The prevention of torture in Rio de Janeiro: A study on the role of public defenders author: Etienne Chenier-Lafleche

57 min read

French foreign fighters: The engagement of administrative and criminal justice in France author: Sharon Weill

64 min read

Still a blind spot: The protection of LGBT persons during armed conflict and other situations of violence author: Alon Margalit

80 min read

Exploring the “continuous combat function” concept in armed conflicts: Time for an extended application? author: Sabrina Henry

47 min read

More humanitarian accountability, less humanitarian access? Alternative ideas on accountability for protection activities in conflict settings author: Natalie Klein-Kelly

73 min read

Returning foreign fighters: The case of Denmark author: Helene Højfeldt Jakobsen

62 min read

An environment conducive to mistakes? Lessons learnt from the attack on the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan author: Françoise Bouchet-Saulnier, Jonathan Whittall

96 min read

A balancing act: The revised rules of access to the ICRC Archives reflect multiple stakes and challenges author: Valerie McKnight Hashemi

60 min read

Changing world, unchanged protection? Seventy years of the Geneva Conventions author: Peter Maurer

13 min read

What’s new in law and case law around the world? (Autumn 2019) author:

39 min read

What’s new on How Does Law Protect in War? Online: Annual update on new content and case studies published from January-December 2018 author:

8 min read

Leuven Manual on the International Law Applicable to Peace Operations, Terry D. Gill, Dieter Fleck, William H. Boothby and Alfons Vanheusden (eds) author: Tobias Vestner, Alessandro Mario Amoroso

18 min read

More about International Review of the Red Cross, 150 years of humanitarian reflection, Helping detainees

article IRRC No. 914

Editorial, Emerging voices: Increasing the diversity of voices featured in the International Review of the Red Cross author: Bruno Demeyere

5 min read
article IRRC No. 911

Lex Innocentium (697 AD): Adomnán of Iona – father of Western jus in bello author: James W. Houlihan

40 min read
article IRRC No. 911

Lex Innocentium (697 AD): Adomnán of Iona – father of Western jus in bello author: James W. Houlihan

40 min read