3. Guidance On Conducting Interviews a. b. c. d. e. f. g. a. Who can make a complaint/be interviewed/take part in an investigation? Contents of the interview Special guidelines for interviewing persons deprived of liberty Note on interviewing women Note on interviewing children Recording Statements and Affidavits Record of information Who can make a complaint/be interviewed/take part in an investigation? According to the Istanbul Protocol, cases of torture may be brought to the NHRI’s (i.e. NCHR) attention by individuals, their representatives, third parties, non-governmental organizations, or any other representative organizations. The national institution shall hear any person and obtain any information and any documents necessary for assessing situations falling within its competence. NHRIs should investigate and document any complaints they receive from victims of their relatives, as well as initiate their own investigations if they believe that torture or illtreatment may be occurring in certain places of detention. In Pakistan, the same principles have been adopted in The National Commission of Human Rights Act whereby NCHR has been empowered to take suo moto action, as well as to undertake an inquiry on the receipt of a petition by a victim or any other person. Moreover, Section 5 of the Torture and Custodial Death Act, 2012 empowers NCHR to supervise all investigations of torture undertaken by the Federal Investigation Agency. Who should be interviewed In addition to the victim and/or complainant, any witnesses who may be able to corroborate a victim’s allegation of torture including: people who were present when the victim was taken into custody people who were detained with the victim. prison officials or law enforcement officers who may have been present 9