torture and other ill-treatment. 27. Victims of torture or other ill-treatment have a right to full and effective redress irrespective of where the torture and other illtreatment were committed. State Parties are obliged to prosecute or extradite alleged perpetrators of torture when they are present in any territory under their jurisdiction and to adopt the necessary legislation to make this possible. State Parties should also ensure that means of reparation are accessible to victims who were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment outside their territory. 28. Amnesty laws in relation to acts of torture violate the victims’ right to judicial protection and to have their cause heard under Article 7 (1) of the African Charter. This is particularly the case where the State has not met its obligations of investigating the violations, prosecuting the perpetrators, providing victims with redress for injuries suffered, and acting to stop the recurrence of such atrocities. Hence, States should not extend blanket amnesty to individuals for acts of torture. Similarly, States should not grant immunity to individuals for acts of torture since this is contrary to the obligation to prosecute and to provide redress for victims. V: Protection against intimidation, retaliation and reprisals 29. The right to protection against intimidation, retaliation and reprisals is an integral component of victims’ right to redress and a condition precedent to obtaining justice. Victims, witnesses, their relatives and members of their communities shall enjoy this protection before, during and after the judicial and other proceedings which they pursue to obtain redress. This right to protection is also extended to investigators, lawyers, health-care personnel, human rights defenders, monitoring bodies such as NHRIs and NPMs and any other individual or institution assisting victims in accessing redress. 30. States are required to ensure that they put in place specific protection mechanisms in situations where victims might be dependent on perpetrators for care, such as in health-care institutions or detention facilities. Alternative support should be provided to ensure that 9