Gabon : The Committee raises concerns regarding detention…

The country rapporteurs were Mr. Abderrazak Rouwane and Mr. Jorge Contesse. 

The Gabonese delegation was led by H.E Ms. Rita Barreau Kambangoye, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Gabonese Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland. 

Main issues discussed  

During its session, the Committee expressed serious concerns about allegations of torture and ill-treatment attributed to the Directorate General of Counter-Intelligence and Military Security, known as “B2”, as well as other security services. It raised concerns about the existence of unofficial places of detention and the lack of clarity regarding the legal framework and mandates of these bodies.  

The Committee also highlighted concerns regarding the respect of fundamental legal safeguards during police custody, including access to a lawyer, the notification of the rights of the person in custody, and the right to inform a relative , thus increasing the risk of torture and impunity. It further noted the lack of data on investigations conducted, prosecutions initiated, and sanctions imposed in cases of alleged violations.  

Furthermore, the Committee expressed concern about extremely poor detention conditions, marked by chronic prison overcrowding linked to the excessive use of pretrial detention. This situation is compounded by inter-prisoner violence, deaths in custody, and serious shortcomings in medical care and infrastructure. The Committee further emphasized that existing measures aimed at the separation of detainees and improvements remain insufficient in light of international standards. 

Finally, concerns persist regarding the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly in relation to human trafficking, gender-based violence, and non-compliance with the principle of non-refoulement. The Committee also underscored the inadequacy of reparation mechanisms for victims, especially in the context of the violent repression that occurred in Libreville in 2016 following the electoral process, as well as the lack of reliable data on the scale of human rights violations. 

The CAT’s recommendations are available here. 

Follow-up recommendations: 

The State party should provide information by the 1st May 2027 on the implementation of recommendations regarding:  

• The definition and criminalisation of torture in national legislation; 
• Mechanisms for monitoring and supervising security and intelligence services to combat unauthorized places of detention; 
• Improvement of detention conditions; 
• The operationalisation of the National Human Rights Commission and the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture.

Watch here the video recordings (part one and part two), of the dialogue with the CAT. 

Read our alternative report (here) to the CAT.