Page 52 162. The Ministry of Justice organises a number of training programmes for the dissemination of the culture of human rights among the personnel of the Judiciary and the Police who benefit from these programmes in addition to other programmes in the same field carried out jointly with the UNHCR. 2. 163. Independence of the Judiciary (Article 26 of the Charter) Convinced that human freedom and dignity can only be realised in a society that upholds the rule of law and equality among men, the Sahrawi Republic endeavours to create conducive atmosphere for the promotion of the role of the judiciary in ensuring justice and bringing it closer to the citizenry. 164. The Judiciary in the Sahrawi Republic is independent and operates within the framework of the law set in Article 124 of the Constitution. The State protects the independence of the Judiciary under the provisions of Article 135 which stipulates thus:  The State protects judges from all forms of pressures and interferences that may affect them in the performance of their duties impartially and the judgements they pronounce;  The State protects them from threats, humiliation, insults, assaults of any form during the performance of their duties;  In the event of any damage, material, physical or moral, the State compensates the judges affected. 165. The penal code reinforces the independence of the Judiciary through the inclusion of Articles on punishing for any interference by any individual or official whatsoever, in the jurisdiction of the judiciary or hindrance to the implementation of orders or judgements.