The Istanbul Statement

The Istanbul Statement on the Use and Effects of Solitary Confinement

To address the increasing use of solitary confinement and its harmful effects, a working group of 24 international experts adopted on December 9th 2007 the Istanbul Expert Statement on the Use and Effects of Solitary Confinement, calling on States to limit the use of solitary confinement to very exceptional cases, for as short a time as possible, and only as a last resort.

• Download the Istanbul Statement (pdf)
• Introduction to the Istanbul Statement (pdf)
• Report of the UN Special Rapporteur (link)

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture report on Solitary Confinement, submitted to the General Assembly, 5 August 2011. UN Doc Number: A 66/268 (pdf)