The Council of Europe Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme launched the online tutored course focused on the standards of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) for legal professionals from Spain. This initiative was conducted in collaboration with the Escuela Judicial of the Consejo General del Poder Judicial (C.G.P.J.), the State Prosecutor's Office, and the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española.

The launch event took place on May 22, 2024, at the premises of the Judicial School of the CGPJ in Madrid, and was conducted entirely in Spanish.

The day began with a warm welcome from key figures, including Rocío Ortega Atienza from the CGPJ, Borja Vargues Valencia from the Spanish Bar Association (CGAE), and Eva Pastrana, Head of the Criminal Law Division at the Council of Europe. This set the stage for a comprehensive introduction to the HELP Programme and the specific CPT standards, delivered by Eva Pastrana.

Participants then had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share their expectations, fostering a collaborative and engaging learning environment. Juan Carlos da Silva, judge and Spanish member of the CPT, led sessions focusing on the practical application of CPT standards within the Spanish context.

The afternoon included an interactive segment on how to navigate the HELP e-learning platform and an overview of other relevant courses, presented by Eva Massa Arranz, Council of Europe consultant. The day concluded with a session led by tutor Juan Carlos da Silva, offering participants the chance to discuss learning objectives, evaluation criteria, and practical aspects of the course.

The course is scheduled to run for eight weeks following the launch, and provides a comprehensive overview of the CPT Standards. Participants who successfully complete the course would receive a certificate from the Council of Europe's HELP Programme, endorsed by the Judicial School.

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On 29 May 2024, the Council of Europe Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme, in collaboration with Romania's National Administration of Penitentiaries, launched the HELP course focused on the standards of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). The event took place at the Rahova Penitentiary Seminar Room in Bucharest and gathered 39 prison staff from several locations in the country. The launch seminar aimed to enhance their understanding of human rights standards within detention facilities and to familiarise them with the course they will be going through in the coming weeks.

The launch seminar included various sessions, starting with introductory remarks by Dr. Dan Halchin, General Director of the National Administration of Penitentiaries. Ana-Maria Telbis, Head a.i. of the Justice and Human Rights Training Division at the Council of Europe, provided an overview of the HELP Programme and the e-learning platform.  Răzvan Horațiu Radu, Prosecutor at the High Court of Cassation and Justice and CPT member, presented the work and the functioning of the CPT. Alongside Ioana Morar, Deputy General Director at the ANP, he also outlined the structure of the HELP online course on CPT standards. Romina Iancu, Lawyer at the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights, discussed relevant jurisprudence on detention conditions. Ioana Constantin, Lawyer in the Department of Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, addressed the specific measures related to the implementation of the ECtHR judgments in this area. Raluca Ivan, Head of Unit in the Council of Europe’s Division for Police and Detention Cooperation introduced ongoing projects related to deprivation of liberty. Georgiana Gheorghe, Executive Director of APADOR-CH, shared insights into the organisation's relevant activities. Cătălina Olteanu, Member of the College Board of the National Council for Combating Discrimination, discussed the issue of preventing and combatting discrimination in penitentiaries.

The seminar concluded with a session led by the tutors of the course, Ioana Morar and Răzvan Horațiu Radu, focusing on the national adaptation, participants’ introductions and sharing of expectations, as well as the course’s planning and evaluation. The event was wrapped up with a question-and-answer session, ensuring that participants had a clear understanding of the course objectives and expectations.

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These initiatives are part of the broader goal to enhance the capacity of justice professionals across Europe to uphold human rights standards and prevent torture and ill-treatment by better aligning their practices to the standards of the CPT.

The CoE HELP online course on CPT standards includes an introductory module and 5 thematic modules covering a range of topics such as police detention, prison conditions, immigration detention centers, psychiatric institutions, and social care homes. Each module provides practical insights and interactive exercises to reinforce the learning objectives.

The course takes 10 hours to complete and is available in several languages in self-learning format (openly accessible, self-paced, certified) at this link.