The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published its report on the May 2023 visit to Albania. The main objective of the CPT’s 2023 visit to Albania was to review the treatment and conditions of detention of persons held in police custody and in prisons. A further focus of the visit was the situation of forensic psychiatric patients and prisoners with mental disorders. The CPT delegation also examined, for the first time in Albania since 2000, the treatment of residents with intellectual disabilities in social care institutions. The findings of the 2023 visit suggest that, although the positive trend observed during the most recent CPT visits to Albania as regards the treatment of persons detained by the police appears to be maintained, additional vigorous action is still required to eradicate police ill-treatment.
Concerning prisons, the material conditions of detention remained generally satisfactory in regular accommodation units at Fier and Peqin Prisons. By contrast, the premises of Tepelena Prison were run down. The situation was compounded by the fact that a number of prisoners were being held in very cramped conditions at the time of the visit, with cells offering less than 3 m2 of living space per person. As regards the provision of healthcare to prisoners, recommendations are made, inter alia to reinforce the healthcare staff resources at Fier and Peqin Prisons, to arrange for regular visits by a psychiatrist to most of the prisons visited and to reinforce the provision of psychological care to inmates.
The CPT delegation visited the Development Centres in Durrës and Shkodra. While the Durrës Development Centre was in a reasonable state of repair, the Shkodra Centre was in poor condition, with extensive water damage due to leaking bathroom pipes resulting in walls partially covered with bright green and black mould. Structural shortcomings in both centres, including low numbers of orderlies and cramped living conditions (leading to mixed gender rooms and minors being placed together with adults) resulted in a level of staff supervision incompatible with the severity of the disability, both physical and intellectual, of several of the residents and the vigilance required to prevent violence.
The report has been made public under an automatic publication procedure adopted by the Albanian authorities.
(Read the executive summary of the report)
Press release
Anti-torture Committee publishes report on Albania
