GENEVA (13 October 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Alice Jill Edwards, will conduct an official visit to Chile from 16 to 27 October 2023. During her visit, Edwards will examine the national legal and institutional framework on the prohibition and prevention of torture; the conditions of detention, including in prisons, psychiatric institutions and juvenile justice facilities; measures in place to protect asylum seekers, refugees and migrants; and those to rehabilitate torture victims, survivors and their families, both in historic and recent cases. The expert will meet with authorities and other stakeholders at the national and regional levels. She will also hold discussions with representatives of investigative and monitoring bodies, the United Nations, civil society organisations, lawyers, victims and their families. She is expected to travel to Santiago de Chile, Valparaiso, Temuco, Iquique and Colchane. The visit takes place at the invitation of the Government. Edwards will present her preliminary observations at a press conference on 26 October 2023 at 11 am at the OHCHR Regional Office for South America, Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3269, Vitacura. The press conference will be streamed live. Access will be strictly limited to registered journalists (please see information below). The Special Rapporteur will present a comprehensive report on the visit in a forthcoming session of UN Human Rights Council. Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, is part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council"s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity. UN Human Rights, Country Page – Chile For more information and media requests, please contact Alessandro Marra (alessandro.marra@un.org/+41 22 928 93 21) To register to the Special Rapporteur’s press conference write to: catalina.navarro@un.org or antonia.reyes@un.org For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org) Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter: @UN_SPExperts The Special Rapporteur on Torture is on Twitter: @DrAliceJEdwards Concerned about the world we live in? Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org