PROTECTION
In 1985, ICRC delegates visited nearly 60,000 people (prisoners of war, civilian internees and so-called security detainees) in Africa, in Asia, in the Middle East, in Latin America and in Europe.
In Africa, 3,300 people were visited by the ICRC; 1,300 in Asia; 47,000 in the Middle East; 7,800 in Latin America and 400 in Europe.
The purpose of the visits is purely humanitarian: ICRC delegates inspect the material and psychological condi- tions of detention, provide detainees with relief if required (medicines, clothing, toilet articles) and, if necessary, ask the authorities to take steps to improve these conditions. In the course of repeated visits, delegates talk to whichever prisoners they please for as long as they like without witnesses.
Before and after these visits, discussions are held with those in charge of the detention centers. Confidential reports are then drawn up. In the case of internal tension and unrest, these reports are sent only to the detaining authorities, while in the case of international armed con- flicts they are sent both to the detaining authorities and to the authorities of the detainees' own countries. These
reports are not intended for publication. The ICRC, for its part, confines itself to publishing the number and names of places visited, the date of these visits and the number of people seen. It also mentions the fact that its delegates were able to talk to the prisoners without wit- nesses. It does not express an opinion on the reasons for detention and does not publicly comment on the material or psychological conditions it finds. If a government should publish incomplete or inaccurate versions of the ICRC reports, the ICRC reserves the right to publish and circulate such reports in full.
The ICRC visits places of detention providing its delegates are allowed:
to see all prisoners and talk freely to them without witnesses;
to obtain access to all places of detention;
to repeat their visits.
In addition, the ICRC generally asks for a list of the peo- ple to be visited or for permission to draw up such a list during the visit, and to distribute material assistance to detainees and their families in need of help.
An ICRC delegate with a prisoner (Thierry Gassmann)
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