The Action “Enhancing the human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Serbia” in its third phase will build upon results of the two preceding Actions of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” in Serbia through a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe initially launched in 2016. Council of Europe will assist authorities to further enhance protection of human rights of all persons deprived of liberty and will continue the work in the areas of police, prisons, mental health care institutions, and social care institutions. 

The Action will be implemented in partnership and close cooperation with Prison Administration within the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran, and Social Affairs, Ombudsperson Office as designated authority performing the duties of the National Preventive Mechanism.

The Action will focus on the following priorities:

• Better protection of human rights in police custody through improvement of operating procedures related to police custody and enhancing capacity of staff in charge of custody processes;
• Greater reintegration of offenders into society by strengthening capacities of Prison Administration staff to deliver specialised treatment and reintegration programmes;
• Improved treatment and protection of human rights of persons placed in psychiatric and residential social care institutions through capacity building of staff and proper implementation of deinstitutionalisation strategies;
• Better monitoring of protection of human rights of persons deprived of liberty by improving capacities of internal oversight and complaint bodies.

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 action is set at 48 months, will be completed by 31 December 2026, with an overall budget of 1,000,000.00 Euros.