The purpose of the visit was to follow up on the recommendations made by the CPT in its report on the 2016 periodic visit to Portugal regarding police and prison matters. To this end, the CPT’s delegation examined the treatment of persons arrested and detained by the Judicial Police, Public Security Police (PSP) and the National Republican Guard (GNR). It also looked into the effectiveness of investigations into allegations of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials. A further focus of the visit was to examine the conditions of detention and treatment of various categories of prisoners, notably those held on remand and in disciplinary segregation as well as vulnerable prisoners. The CPT’s delegation also re-examined the situation of patients held at the psychiatric clinic of Santa Cruz do Bispo Prison.

In the course of the visit, the delegation met Antero Luís, Secretary of State for Internal Administration, Mário Belo Morgado, Secretary of State for Justice, and Rómulo Mateus, Director General of Reintegration and Prison Services, as well as senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Internal Administration and Justice.

The delegation also held an exchange of views with senior officials and prosecutors from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Further, it met the Coordinator of the National Prevention Mechanism within the Office of the Ombudsman.

At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary observations to the Portuguese authorities.

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

• Julia Kozma, Head of delegation
• Juan Carlos da Silva Ochoa
• Alan Mitchell.

They were supported by Hugh Chetwynd, Head of Division, and Patrick Müller of the Secretariat of the CPT, and assisted by Cyrille Orizet, psychiatrist, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Paris, France.

The delegation visited the following places:

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior

• PSP Metropolitan Command Headquarters, Moscavide Avenue, Lisbon
• PSP 4th Police Division/30th Police Station, Travessa de Miguel Lupi, Lisbon (Lapa)
• PSP Bela Vista Holding facilities, Agostinho José Freire Street, Porto
• GNR police station, Rua Padre Andrade e Silva, São Cosme, Gondomar

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice

• Caxias Prison *
• Lisbon Central Prison*
• Lisbon Judicial Police Prison *
• Porto Central Prison
• Porto Judicial Police Prison
• Santa Cruz do Bispo Prison (Psychiatric Clinic)
• Setúbal Prison *

* Targeted visit primarily to interview remand prisoners and to examine the treatment of vulnerable prisoners.