Center’s issues included in List of Issues for reviews of El Salvador and Chile by the CAT Committee

As part of its 2013 reviews of Chile and El Salvador, the Committee against Torture (CAT Committee) solicited input from civil society organizations to determine the issues that would be covered in the country revisions. The Center for Reproductive Rights submitted shadow letters addressing both countries, and the CAT Committee took up all of the issues raised by the Center, disseminating them in the List of Issues in July.

The adoption of these issues by the CAT Committee demonstrates their serious human rights implications for each country’s compliance with the Convention against Torture, and requires El Salvador and Chile to address all of these issues individually.

The CAT Committee asked Chile about the government’s measures taken to decriminalize abortion in cases of rape and when the life of the woman is in danger. It also inquired about the adoption of legislative measures that guarantee sexual and reproductive rights of women. Most importantly, the Committee highlighted “allegations of forced sterilizations on women living with HIV,” inquiring about the existence of a grievance mechanism and compensation for women who have been forcibly sterilized, as was in the case of F.S. v Chile.

For its review of El Salvador, the CAT Committee referenced the Center’s case in progress, Manuela v. El Salvador, inquiring about “conditions in prison for women who have been incarcerated for violating prohibition of abortion.” Furthermore, the CAT Committee asked for more information about measures taken to review and reform its abortion legislation.

Download the Shadow Letters to the CAT Committee on El Salvador and Chile below.