Mykola Gnatovskyy, President of the CPT, met the Minister of Justice, Adnan Jashari, the Director of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, Lidija Gavrilovska, and other officials to discuss the situation in the prisons. In particular, the treatment of prisoners and the conditions of detention at Idrizovo and Skopje Prisons were discussed as well as the implementation of the forthcoming national strategy on development of the penitentiary system.

In addition, talks were held with the Deputy Minister of Health, Jovica Andovski, on the treatment of patients in psychiatric institutions and the transfer of the responsibility for prison health-care to this ministry. The situation of irregular migrants, notably those detained at the Reception Centre for Foreigners, was discussed with officials from the Border Affairs and Migration Sector of the Ministry of Interior.

Finally, the state of co-operation between the CPT and the national authorities was the focus of discussions with the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Elena Kuzmanovska. 

A separate meeting also took place with Ambassador Aivo Orav, Head of the European Union Delegation.

The President of the CPT was accompanied by Hugh Chetwynd, Head of Division, and Cristian Loda from the CPT’s Secretariat