Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention: Mission to Brazil (2014)

Date: 30 June 2014

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Working Group on its mission to Brazil. The Working Group emphasises the high number of prisoners accused of drug-related offences, expressing concerns about various issues in regard to them, such as:

the compulsory confinement of drug users and chemical dependents and the excessive use of their detention
lack of judicial review while a drug user has been put in detention
drug users are targeted indiscriminately by the police agents
most of those targeted under compulsory drug treatment are children and adolescents living on the streets.

It recommends to implement alternatives measures to detention for drug users and to carry out periodic judicial review once a drug user is put into detention.

Citation: Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, 'Mission to Brazil' (2014) (A/HRC/27/48/Add.3)