The visit was an opportunity for the CPT’s delegation to review the measures taken by the Romanian authorities to implement the recommendations made by the Committee after its 2014 visit. To this end, the main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention in five prison establishments, with a particular focus on the situation of persons held in the maximum security, closed and pre-trial regimes. The delegation visited ten arrest detention centres and looked into the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by the police, including as regards the safeguards afforded to them. Further, the delegation also examined the effectiveness of several investigations into allegations of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials and penitentiary staff.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Tudorel Toader, Minister of Justice, Marieta Safta, State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Daniel Robert Marin, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Marian Dobrică, Director General of the Penitentiary Administration as well as with senior officials from the Ministries of Health, the Interior and Justice. The delegation also met representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice.

In addition, meetings were also held with the Ombudsman, Victor Ciorbea, and members of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) as well as with representatives of civil society active in areas of concern to the CPT.

At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary findings to the Romanian authorities.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

• Therese Rytter, Head of Delegation,
• Régis Bergonzi,
• Joan Cabeza,
• Philippe Mary,
• Hans Wolff.

They were supported by Hugh Chetwynd, Head of Division and Christian Loda of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by Mr Patrizio Gonnella, Chairman of the Italian Observatory of Prisons “Antigone”, Italy and Ms Rachael Pickering, Secure Environment Doctor, United Kingdom (experts).

The delegation visited the following establishments:

Police establishments

• Central detention facility (No. 1) at Bucharest Municipal Police Headquarters, Georgescu Street
• Detention facility No. 2 at Bucharest Regional Transport Police
• Detention facility No. 4 at Bucharest Police Station No.5
• Detention facility No. 8 at Bucharest Police Station No.13
• Detention facility No. 9 at Bucharest Police Station No.15
• Detention facility of Bacău Department, Bacau
• Detention facility of Bistriţa Năsăud Department, Bistriţa
• Police station of the Bistriţa Năsăud Police Inspectorate
• Detention facility of Cluj Department, Cluj-Napoca
• Detention facility of Iaşi Department, Iaşi
• Detention facility of Galaţi Department, Galaţi

Penitentiary establishments

• Aiud Prison
• Bacău Prison
• Galaţi Prison
• Gherla Prison
• Iaşi Prison