In a report published today, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) noted progress made by Hungary for its treatment of persons in prison and in police custody, since its previous visit in 2013.
Most persons interviewed by the delegation who were or had recently been in police custody did not make any allegations of ill treatment. The Hungarian authorities have taken steps to strengthen safeguards against police ill treatment (notably the right of notification of custody and the right of access to a lawyer) through new criminal procedure legislation and relevant police regulations. Furthermore, much has been done to improve documentation of the exercise of detained persons’ rights, according to the report, which is based on a visit to Hungary in late November 2018.
On the other hand, the CPT recommends ways to tackle inter-prisoner violence and improve material conditions in juvenile prisons as well as to introduce a meaningful review procedure for life-sentenced prisoners. The aim should not only be to provide lifers with the possibility of having their sentences effectively reduced, but also to have a target to aim at which should motivate positive behaviour in prison.
Among other problems raised in the report, the CPT highlights the need to strengthen safeguards surrounding placement in solitary confinement or segregation. It recommends that legislation be amended to ensure that the maximum period of its use for disciplinary purposes in respect of adults is no more than 14 days for a given offence, irrespective of the security regime to which a prisoner is subjected. As regards juveniles, the CPT stresses that they should not be placed in disciplinary solitary confinement.
