Inside Paraguay's Detention Crisis: UN Experts Demand Humane Conditions and Reform

During its third official mission to Paraguay, conducted from 25 October to 3 November 2026, the Subcommittee visited 27 facilities where individuals are deprived of their liberty.

United Nations human rights experts have urged Paraguay to urgently improve conditions in its detention facilities after identifying serious problems that prevent some detainees from having their basic needs met. The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) raised concerns following an official visit to the country, warning that poor living conditions in prisons, police stations and other detention centres could undermine the rights and dignity of people deprived of their liberty. The experts called on the government to strengthen protections against torture and ill-treatment, ensuring that ongoing prison reforms prioritise rehabilitation and humane treatment rather than focusing exclusively on security.

The findings come as Paraguay continues efforts to modernise its penitentiary system and address longstanding challenges affecting the treatment of people held in detention. UN experts acknowledged the government's willingness to improve prison management, particularly its efforts to separate people awaiting trial from convicted prisoners and accommodate male and female detainees in different penitentiary establishments. They stressed that these developments must be supported by improvements in detention conditions, effective oversight and policies that help prisoners reintegrate into society.

Marco Feoli, who led the UN delegation, warned that structural problems remain across several detention facilities despite the progress recognised during the visit. According to the experts, conditions in certain judicial police departments, police stations and penitentiary institutions are preventing detainees from having their most basic needs met, raising concerns about Paraguay's compliance with international human rights obligations. The delegation emphasised that prison management must incorporate measures to prevent torture, reduce opportunities for corruption and create conditions that support rehabilitation and respect for human dignity.

Poor Detention Conditions Raise Serious Human Rights Concerns

The UN experts identified material conditions in several detention facilities as an urgent concern, highlighting the need for authorities to ensure that people deprived of their liberty receive treatment consistent with international human rights standards. Inadequate detention environments can place prisoners in vulnerable situations and increase the risk of mistreatment, particularly when institutions lack effective safeguards and independent monitoring. Feoli stressed that addressing these structural challenges should be a priority for the Paraguayan government as it implements changes to its penitentiary system.

The delegation welcomed Paraguay's established institutional framework for preventing torture and recognised the important work carried out by the country's National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). This independent monitoring body plays an essential role in examining conditions in places of detention and identifying risks associated with torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The experts encouraged continued efforts to strengthen detention safeguards and ensure that reforms produce meaningful improvements for people held in prisons and other institutions.

UN Delegation Inspects 27 Detention Facilities Across Paraguay

During its third official mission to Paraguay, conducted from 25 October to 3 November 2026, the Subcommittee visited 27 facilities where individuals are deprived of their liberty. The inspected locations included prisons, police stations, judicial police departments, juvenile detention centres, drug rehabilitation centres and a psychiatric hospital, allowing the experts to examine conditions across different types of institutions. Delegation members conducted confidential interviews with detainees and facility personnel to gain a clearer understanding of living conditions, institutional practices and the safeguards available to people in detention.

The mission included meetings with senior government authorities, civil society organisations and representatives of other United Nations entities operating in Paraguay. These discussions provided opportunities to examine the country's prison reform process, assess existing mechanisms for preventing torture and identify areas requiring greater attention from national authorities. The experts highlighted the importance of ensuring that Paraguay's new penitentiary model supports social reintegration through appropriate policies, effective safeguards against abuse and stronger measures to prevent corruption.

Paraguay ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (OPCAT) in 2005, committing itself to a system of preventive monitoring of places where individuals are deprived of liberty. The country subsequently established its National Preventive Mechanism in 2011, creating a domestic institution responsible for helping prevent torture and ill-treatment through independent oversight. The UN Subcommittee previously visited Paraguay in 2009 and 2010, making the 2026 mission another opportunity to review developments and assess continuing challenges in the country's detention system.

UN Calls for Rehabilitation-Focused Reforms and Stronger Oversight

The experts urged Paraguay to ensure that reforms address the wider needs of detainees, recognising that effective prison management involves rehabilitation, humane living conditions and protection against abuse alongside institutional security. They emphasised that policies supporting social reintegration should form an essential part of the country's new penitentiary model, giving detained individuals better opportunities to return to society after completing their sentences. Stronger oversight, safeguards against ill-treatment and anti-corruption measures were also identified as necessary components of a detention system that respects international human rights obligations.

The Subcommittee will prepare a confidential report outlining its findings and recommendations, which will be shared with the Paraguayan government within the coming months. UN experts have encouraged the authorities to make the report public, allowing its recommendations to contribute to broader efforts to improve detention conditions and prevent torture across the country. A separate confidential report will be provided to Paraguay's National Preventive Mechanism to support its continuing monitoring and preventive responsibilities.

The visiting delegation included Marco Feoli Villalobos of Costa Rica as its head, together with Marie Brasholt of Denmark, Carmen Comas-Mata of Spain and Juan Pablo Vegas of Peru. Their mission was supported by two staff members from the Subcommittee's secretariat and two United Nations security officers, helping the experts carry out inspections and discussions across the country. The visit has renewed attention on Paraguay's responsibility to ensure that prison reforms deliver safer detention environments, effective rehabilitation opportunities and stronger protection of the fundamental rights of people deprived of their liberty.