“Restart” Center Training Session on 
        “Human Rights and Prisons” at Kalamoun

The “Restart” Center for the rehabilitation of victims of violence and torture, organized a training session put under the title: “Human Rights and Prisons”, within the Afkar II program, undertaken by “Restart”, funded by EU and managed by the office of the minister of State for administrative reform, Ibrahim Shamseddine, and in cooperation with the British Embassy and “Vista for Specialized Education”. The training session took place at Miramar resort-Kalamoun, with the participation of 25 members of the interior security forces, who work at the prisons of the northern Mohafazat and who are in direct contact with the inmates.

The representative of the British Embassy, Ms. Nicholas Davis considered that the training is very useful and of paramount important and that the embassy is proud to cooperate with Restart Center and the ISF, wishing them all the success.

Colonel Elie Abou Sarhal delivered a speech on behalf of the director general of ISF, General Ashraf Rifi. He said: “Our presence today with one of the civil society associations and our participation in the training program are a proof of the improvement of the sane performance towards what we’re aspiring to and show to what extent we respect the principles and norms regarding the human rights to which we have always been committed, in particular the rights that we are talking about in today’s meeting, namely the human rights of the persons deprived of their freedom, because of their imprisonment or because of other forms of detention.”

Then, the representative of the office of the minister of State for administrative reform, Ms. Youmna Ghorayeb took the floor. She considered that “Restart” center is playing an important role with very limited resources. And that its program within Afkar II, as well as the other programs it is undertaking, revolves around important issues such as the amendment of the laws and other issues relevant to human rights.”

After the introductory speeches, the working team of “Restart” center defined the concept of “torture”. During the first session, the participants tackled the “effects of the torture and its physical, psychological and social impact on the victim”. The second session focused on “The Human Rights and the Prisons”, during which Jad Tohme talked about the objective behind the imprisonment, the human rights and the role of the prison employees.”

During the second day of the training session on the “Human Rights and Prisons”, organized by Restart center for the rehabilitation of the victims of violence and torture, held within Afkar program, Mr. Fadi Mehssin tackled the issue of the “Control of the Detention Centers”. As for Ms. Ghada Ibrahim, she talked about the mechanisms and the international conventions relevant to the persons deprived of their freedom.