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Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture, A/HRC/28/68/Add.1, 5 March 2015: Nigeria

(a) JAL 28/03/2014 Case No. NGA 2/2014 State Reply: None to date

Allegations concerning attacks against a group of men on grounds of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, and police inaction with regards to these attacks, on 12 and 13 February 2014 in Gishiri village, Abuja.

401. In the absence of information to the contrary, the Rapporteur concludes that there is substance in the allegations presented in the initial communication, reiterated above, and thus, that the Government of Nigeria failed to protect the physical and psychological integrity of the men in question, thereby paving the way for sexual violence. By its failure to investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators, the State has violated the right of the former to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as provided by articles 1 and 16 of the CAT. The State must conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the episode and prosecute and punish those responsible for the assault on these persons, as well as the policemen who failed to protect them from the violence.

Link to full text of the report: Report-SRTorture-Communications and replies-2015-eng-fra-esp

Link to Special Rapporteur’s correspondence with the State: Correspondence-SR-Nigeria-2-2014-eng