During the visit, the CPT’s delegation assessed progress made in the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations following the previous visits. In this context, the delegation paid particular attention to the treatment and safeguards afforded to persons deprived of their liberty by the police and examined the conditions of detention in three prisons for adult prisoners. It also carried out a targeted follow-up visit to a juvenile prison. In addition, the delegation visited two psychiatric establishments and two temporary placement centres for persons with disabilities.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Viorica Dumbrăveanu, Minister of Health, Labour and Social Protection, Alexandru Holostenco and Djulieta Popescu, State Secretaries for Health, Labour and Social Protection, Eduard Serbenco, State Secretary for Justice, Vladimir Cojocaru, Director of National Administration of Penitentiary, Ianuș Erhan, State Secretary for Internal Affairs, and other senior officials from the aforementioned Ministries and services.

The delegation also met Mihail Cotorobai, People’s Advocate (Ombudsman), and senior representatives of his office, as well as representatives of the National Preventive Mechanism established under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT). Further, the delegation had a meeting with representatives of non-governmental organisations active in areas of concern to the CPT.

At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary observations to the Moldovan authorities.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

• Julia Kozma (Head of Delegation)
• Djordje Alempijevic
• Georg Høyer
• Elsa Bára Traustadóttir
• Tinatin Uplisashvili.

They were supported by Ardita Abdiu (Head of Division) and Petr Hnátík of the Committee's Secretariat and assisted by two experts, Vadym Chovgan, Lawyer, Penitentiary Reform Lead, Support to Ukraine's Reforms for Governance (Ukraine), and Andres Lehtmets, Psychiatrist, Head of the Centre of Psychiatry, West Tallinn Central Hospital (Estonia).

The delegation visited the following places of deprivation of liberty:

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice

• Penitentiary no. 1 (Taraclia Prison)
• Penitentiary no. 5 (Cahul Prison)
• Penitentiary no. 13 (Chișinău Prison)

The delegation also carried out a targeted follow-up visit to Penitentiary no. 10 (Goian Juvenile Prison) in order to examine the steps that have been taken to implement the recommendations made by the CPT after the previous visits to tackle the phenomenon of inter-prisoner violence.

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection

• Chișinău Psychiatric Hospital
• Forensic Psychiatric Unit of the Centre for Forensic Medicine in Chișinău
• Temporary Placement Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Badiceni
• Temporary Placement Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Bălți

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior

• Police Department and Temporary Detention Isolator in Chișinău
• Police Inspectorate in Bălți
• Police Inspectorate and Temporary Detention Isolator in Cahul
• Police Inspectorate in Cantemir
• Police Inspectorate and Temporary Detention Isolator in Cimișlia
• Police Inspectorate in Comrat
• Police Inspectorate and Temporary Detention Isolator in Hîncești
• Police Inspectorate and Temporary Detention Isolator in Fălești
• Police Inspectorate and Temporary Detention Isolator in Florești
• Police Inspectorate in Taraclia.