8. 秘密拘留的定义是：国家当局，或其作为或不作为可归咎于国家的其他代理人，拘留某人并不许与外界有任何接触(“单独拘禁”)，并拒绝提供或主动隐瞒某人被剥夺自由的实情或者关于被拘留者命运或下落的信息。15 正如特别程序联合研究报告所指出的那样，这种拘留的必然后果是，被拘留者被置于法律保护之外，构成多方面的侵犯人权行为，无论何种情况下，包括在紧急状态下，都站不住脚。16
8. Secret detention has been defined as instances in which State authorities, or other agents whose actions or omissions are attributable to the State, detain a person while denying any contact with the outside world (incommunicado detention) and refuse to provide or actively conceal information about the fact that the person is detained or about the fate or whereabouts of the detainee.15 As noted in the joint study by special procedures, such detention has the inherent consequence of placing the detainee outside the protection of the law and amounts to a manifold human rights violation that cannot be justified under any circumstances, including during states of emergency.16