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For prevention/denunciation of custodial abuses and advocating for the rights of detainees, HDO has devised three pronged strategy, 1) Sensitizing/educating key stakeholders of society including police, prison staff, parliamentarians , lawyers , judicial officers/magistrates, medical practitioners, teachers, students, journalists, political activists, religious leaders and human rights defenders for playing their role in torture free detention in line with provisions of UNCAT, Istanbul Protocol, and domestic laws, 2) Educating general public and detainees about the rights of persons in conflict with law enshrined in domestic and international instruments of human rights including UNCAT, ICCPR, CRC, UN standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners through, IEC material, sessions, seminars, discussions, walks, print and electronic media and theatrical performances, 3) Lobbying for criminalization of torture, putting in place a district based monitoring mechanism aimed at protection of human rights of persons deprived of liberty.

Integrated Human Rights Network (IHRN)

As part of its human rights protection program, HDO has formed 25 members IHRN in three districts of Hazara division with lawyers, journalists, prayer leaders, students, teachers, human rights and political workers as its members. These honorable members of IHRN, after an oath they sign, are capacitated about the key conventions, protocols and treaties of human rights besides lobbying and advocacy techniques.

They are also trained at methods of identifying, registering and referring torture, violence and sexual abuse victims (children) to HDO from their respective areas. They also carry out counseling for psycho rehabilitation of both primary and secondary level survivors of torture and violence.

HDO has linked IHRNs with district bars, press clubs, health and education departments, and governmental and civil society organizations for attaining their future role as independent civil society organizations struggling to protect the rights of victims of human rights abuses.  

Union council level paraprofessional groups

HDO also formed groups of human rights defenders at union council level and train these groups as paraprofessional psycho-counseling and legal assistance. Under this program young activists from different twenty union councils with one woman and a man from each union council of selected districts of Hazara are trained at how to identity, register, refer and carry out initial counseling with the victims of torture, violence and sexual abuse. They are also educated about key legal provisions relating to criminal justice system.  

Free Legal Aid Kiosks: For offering legal assistance to the target communities, HDO has established free legal aid kiosks at district level where 25 legal practitioners in each district including women extend free of cost legal services to victims of torture/violence/child sexual abuse in lodging complaints/criminal cases against perpetrators, securing bails and filing appeals against the court decisions.

Free Legal Aid Kiosks: For offering legal assistance to the target communities, HDO has established free legal aid kiosks at district level where 25 legal practitioners in each district including women extend free of cost legal services to victims of torture/violence/child sexual abuse in lodging complaints/criminal cases against perpetrators, securing bails and filing appeals against the court decisions.

Socio-economic reintegration of torture survivors:  Majority of torture victims become economically inactive after suffering different physiological and psychological consequences which, ultimately not only contribute towards poverty within their families and society at large but also encourage recidivism among them. Apart from education services, the registered TVs are taught different skills for their economic empowerment. Dress making and designing, embroidery work and handicrafts, bead work (plait, purse, cell phone covers, jewelery etc) are the common skills these TVs are helped learning during detention period.

Women incarcerators are provided training of embroidery work, dress making, beautician courses. HDO’s this initiative aims to help the demoralized survivors of custodial abuses reintegrating with their families and society with dignity and becoming economically self dependent.

They are linked to the local market, enabling to support their expenses incurring on litigation, medication and nutritious food of their choice.  

PREVENTION