Part II Preventing torture: NHRIs in action | Section II Contributing to the implementation of the legal framework Chapter 5: Interviewing Key questions • What is the purpose of interviewing a victim or a witness? • How should you prepare for an interview? • What are the key issues to consider when conducting an interview? • What are the specific challenges involved in interviewing victims of trauma? Legal basis for NHRI involvement Paris Principles Methods of operation Within the framework of its operation, the national institution shall: b) Hear any person and obtain any information and any documents necessary for assessing situations falling within its competence Introduction There are a number of different situations where representatives of NHRIs will be required to conduct an interview, including: • as part of a formal or official inquiry • when a person visits the office of the NHRI to file a complaint • during a visit to a place of detention • in the course of field investigation • in a meeting with an official. Preparing for and conducting interviews should always be done with the specific context in mind. Applying all of the following practices may not be possible in every situation; however, the key principles are worth noting. 1. Purpose of an interview An interview allows you to: • gather many different pieces of information from a single interviewee • respond to information that the interviewee gives you • cross-check information that you already have • assess whether the interviewee is credible • provide the interviewee with the chance to tell their story. Chapter 5: Interviewing | 43