The Prime Minister was briefed on the dire situation in Idrizovo Prison, where the conditions of detention remain appalling for hundreds of prisoners. The issues highlighted in the CPT report on the October 2023 visit regarding this and other prisons in the country, such as lack of staff, corruption, absence of any purposeful activities, poor healthcare and violence, have yet to be addressed. These are not new challenges. They are symptomatic of a failing prison system which still has not invested in a professional management approach.

The CPT President reiterated that the Macedonian authorities should continue their efforts to implement the Road Map for prison reform which was set out by the Committee. In parallel, the CEB Vice-Governor emphasised the importance of ensuring that the loan facility of the CEB for the re-building of Idrizovo Prison was properly and expeditiously pursued. Both the CPT and CEB expressed their commitment to supporting the authorities with their reform efforts. In response, the Prime Minister stated that his government recognised the importance of prison reform as a key component in the criminal justice system and that the country would abide by its international commitments. He acknowledged that the prison system needed greater investment.

In further talks held with the Minister of Justice, Igor Filkov, and Director of the Prison Administration, Aleksandar Pandov, the CPT and CEB delegation also reiterated the need to establish clear reporting lines and effective management oversight in the prison service. The need to improve the provision of healthcare in prisons was addressed with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Bleta Rama. Ensuring that there are sufficient healthcare staff, and that healthcare premises are adequate for the clinical needs are prerequisites to offering equivalence of care for persons in prison.

“Prisons are complex institutions which require professional managers and staff to run them,” said President of the CPT, Alan Mitchell. “In order to effectively prevent ill- treatment, North Macedonia has a duty to ensure that all persons in prison are treated with dignity and provided with decent living conditions.”

CEB Vice-Governor Tomáš Boček brought up the effective implementation of the loan agreement between the CEB and the Government of North Macedonia for the construction of a new closed prison and pre-trial detention facility in Idrizovo. He stressed that “the Macedonian Government has to immediately take action in line with the CPT’s recommendations and commit to providing its share of the financing for the Indrizovo prison project." He went on to state that the CEB trusted that such a situation would not arise as “the Bank has excellent cooperation with the Macedonian authorities on a range of social and educational projects and wishes to continue to support the development challenges within the country where required.”

Consultations were also held, on 7 October 2024, with Ambassador Michalis Rokas Head of the Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia, on the importance of prison reform as a key aspect of the justice system.

The President of the CPT and the Vice-Governor of the CEB were accompanied by Slava Novak (CPT member), Hugh Chetwynd (Executive Secretary) and Christian Loda of the CPT’s Secretariat, and Sonay Kanber from the CEB.