Justice Shujune elected to UN Sub-Committee of Prevention of Torture for a fourth term

Oct 26, 2024, 7:15 AM
Justice Aisha Shujune. -- Photo: Supreme Court

Justice Aisha Shujune. -- Photo: Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Aisha Shujune has been elected to the United Nations (UN) Sub-Committee of Prevention of Torture (SPT) for a fourth consecutive term.

Shujune won the election in Geneva with the highest number of votes out of all the candidates.

The members of the committee will have to use their experience to work independently and no instructions can be given from their countries.

This is the fourth consecutive term that Shujune has been elected to the post. Her term will begin next year and end in 2028.

Shujune was first elected as a member of the committee in 2011. Since then, she has won all four elections held after the end of her term.

The Maldives joined the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) 19 years ago. The Maldives is among the first 20 countries to join the formation of the OPCAT and the first state party in Asia to participate in OPCAT.

The SPT is one of the largest human rights treaty bodies in the UN. It is an international body formed by OPCAT with 25 independent experts.

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