In areport published today, theCouncil of Europe's Anti–torture Committee (CPT) urged the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the problem of ill-treatment by the police in the Republika Srpska and to improve the situation of pre-trial detention departments of prisons.
The report contains the findings of a visit to the country in December 2012 mainly to examine the steps taken since the 2011 visit to combat ill-treatment by the police. The CPT's delegation again received a considerable number of credible allegations of severe physical ill-treatment by the police in the Republika Srpska.
The alleged ill-treatment mostly took the form of slaps, punches and kicks as well as blows with objects such as baseball bats. Detailed allegations were also received of handcuffing in stress positions, the placing of plastic bags over the heads of suspects, the infliction of electric shocks and mock executions. Most allegations concerned the time when suspects were being questioned, in particular at Banja Luka Central Police Station.
The CPT recommends that an independent professional assessment be carried out into the working methods used by crime inspectors at Banja Luka Central Police Station when detaining and interviewing suspects. (more...)
