HF III Montenegro - Enhancing Human Rights protection for detained and sentenced persons

The Action “Enhancing the human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” in its third phase will build upon results of the two preceding Actions of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” in Montenegro through a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe initially launched in 2016. Council of Europe will support Montenegrin authorities to improve the protection of human rights of all persons deprived of liberty in the areas of police, prisons, mental health care institutions, and monitoring mechanisms.
The Action will work in partnership with the Ministry of Interior/Police Administration, Administration for execution of criminal sanctions, Ministry of Justice, Ombudsman/National Preventive Mechanism, State Prosecutor’s Office, and Ministry of Health as well as other national stakeholders, including prominent civil society organisations active on the protection and promotion of human rights of detained persons.
The Action’s main areas of intervention will strive to enhance the rights of persons deprived of liberty and achieve the following outcomes:

Treatment of persons detained in police custody is improved in line with the Council of Europe standards against ill-treatment and impunity;
Authorities in Montenegro strengthen their capacity to better protect prisoners’ human rights;
Detained persons in prisons receive improved health care services;
Better monitoring of detention facilities through enhanced capacity of the NPM Office.

The Action addresses the findings and the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), as well as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the application of Conventions of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).
The duration of the project is set at 48 months, and will be completed by 31 December 2026, with an overall budget of 800,000 Euros.

Project documentation

Useful information

Project news

Back Monitoring bodies of Montenegro further strengthen their ability to conduct visits to places of detention

Vladislav SPIRLICENCO

The joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” organised a specialised training session for monitoring officers of the National Preventive Mechanism and the Ministry of Justice on 3-4 June in Podgorica. The training focused on addressing communication skills of the officers when interacting with individuals with intellectual disabilities and dementia.

This was the first opportunity for the monitoring officers to receive training on this topic, which is particularly important for their work, as both institutions regularly visit facilities housing these vulnerable groups. Enhanced sensibility to the issue will lead to better understanding of the needs of such people, more thorough monitoring of the conditions of their detention and the provision of better quality opinions and recommendations to the relevant institutions.

The action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, implemented by the Council of Europe.

Montenegro 06 June 2024