Geneva – Mexico has shown political commitment to combat and prevent torture, and significant progress has been acknowledged by the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) following their third visit to the country. However, experts highlighted ongoing gaps between the legal frameworks and policies in place and their practical implementation.
Since the SPT’s previous visit in 2016, Mexico has adopted key legislative measures, including the General Law on the Prevention of Torture in 2017 and the General Law on Health in 2023. The government has also established specialized prosecutors’ offices to investigate acts of torture and strengthened the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) with a solid legal framework and adequate resources.
Despite these advancements, the SPT delegation, led by Carmen Comas-Mata, expressed concern about the implementation of torture prevention measures, particularly in drug rehabilitation centers that operate privately and often outside proper regulatory frameworks. Worrying conditions and coercive practices in such centers pose serious risks of ill-treatment, requiring urgent and decisive action by the state.
During their week-long visit from 25-30 January 2026, marking a decade since their second visit, the delegation conducted visits to men’s and women’s prisons, police stations, psychiatric hospitals, and drug rehabilitation centers. They held confidential interviews with detainees and personnel, conducted joint visits alongside the NPM, and met with government authorities and other stakeholders.
The experts observed persistent challenges in implementation. Although national legislation prohibits involuntary institutionalisation, this was not always reflected in practice. Concerns were also raised about the slow and ineffective investigations of torture cases and the continuing issue of impunity, despite the existence of solid legal and institutional frameworks.
The delegation welcomed the functioning of a competent and well-resourced NPM, but stressed the importance of promptly appointing full membership to its Technical Committee and re-establishing cooperation with civil society.
The SPT will submit a confidential report containing findings and recommendations to the Mexican government and encouraged Mexico to make the report public and engage constructively on implementing its recommendations. The delegation included Carmen Comas-Mata (Head, Spain), Marco Feoli Villalobos (Costa Rica), Maria Luisa Romero (Panama), and Martin Zinkler (Germany), supported by two members of the Secretariat.
