2016 News
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits the Russian Federation
The CPT’s delegation reviewed the measures taken by the Russian authorities in response to recommendations made by the Committee after its previous visits. In this connection, particular attention was paid to the treatment and conditions of detention of persons in police custody and penitentiary...
Italy and Spain: CPT reports critical that safeguards for foreign nationals returned by air not adequate
The CPT’s delegations monitored all phases of both joint removal operations. No allegations of physical ill-treatment of detained persons by staff were received and the escort staff were, in general, supportive of the needs of the foreign nationals. The CPT is not fully convinced of the policy of...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee carries out targeted visit to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
The primary objective of the visit was to look into the conditions of detention and treatment of inmates at Idrizovo Prison, in which some two-thirds of the country’s prisoners are held. Since 2006, the CPT has repeatedly criticised the situation in this establishment, stating that the conditions...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Ukraine
One of the objectives of the visit was to examine the treatment and safeguards afforded to persons detained by law enforcement agencies. For this purpose, the CPT’s delegation interviewed a considerable number of persons who are or have recently been in the custody of the National Police and the...
CPT President participates in conference marking the 10th anniversary of OPCAT
During his address to the participants, Mr Gnatovskyy congratulated the SPT colleagues, as well as the colleagues from the various national preventive mechanisms present, and expressed his deep appreciation for their work. He also stressed the importance of synergies between preventive bodies on...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Armenia
The main objective of the visit was to review the measures taken by the Armenian authorities in response to the recommendations made by the Committee after previous visits. Particular attention was paid to the safeguards against ill-treatment of persons in police custody and the material...
CPT holds its November 2016 plenary meeting
During this meeting, it adopted the reports on its periodic visits to Azerbaijan (March/April 2016), Italy (April 2016), Latvia (April 2016), the Netherlands (May 2016) and Liechtenstein (June 2016), and on its ad hoc visits to Greece (April and July 2016) and to Turkey (August/September 2016)....
Intolerable detention conditions in certain Belgian prisons during May 2016 strikes, says Council of Europe's anti-torture committee
In the establishments visited, virtually all the prison staff were absent from their posts, and the prisons were functioning solely due to the efforts of management staff and a handful of volunteer prison and health service employees assisted by police officers or other reassigned staff. Even...
The CPT publishes report on 2015 ad hoc visit to Hungary
The CPT’s visit took place in the context of the arrival of an unprecedented number of foreign nationals to Hungary. The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty under aliens legislation or the amended criminal...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee holds high-level talks in Sweden
The main objective of the talks, which took place on 18 October 2016, was to discuss the implementation of the CPT’s long-standing recommendations aiming at significantly reducing both the scope and duration of restrictions on association and contacts with the outside world imposed on remand...
The CPT publishes report on Malta
The report focuses on the treatment of persons in police custody and the safeguards afforded to them, the situation at Corradino Correctional Facility and at Mount Carmel Psychiatric Hospital, as well as the treatment of persons in two facilities for immigration detention. It also examines the...
The CPT visits Spain
During the visit, the CPT’s delegation reviewed the treatment of persons detained by various police services (in particular the Policía Nacional and the Guardia Civil). Particular attention was given to the application in practice of safeguards against ill-treatment in the light of the recent...
The CPT visits Portugal
The visit was an opportunity for the delegation to assess the progress made since the previous CPT visits to Portugal in 2012 and 2013. To this end, the delegation reviewed the treatment of persons detained by law enforcement agencies, notably the Judicial Police, Public Security Police and...
The CPT visits Lithuania
In the course of the visit, the delegation had consultations with Paulius GRICIŪNAS, Deputy Minister of Justice, Artūras NORKEVIČIUS, Deputy Minister of the Interior, Algirdas ŠEŠELGIS, Deputy Minister of Social Security and Labour, Jūratė SABALIENĖ, Deputy Minister of Health, Evaldas PAŠILIS,...
The CPT publishes report on Kosovo*
The report focuses on the measures taken by the relevant authorities following the recommendations made by the Committee after its previous visit (in 2010). In this connection, particular attention is paid to the treatment and conditions of detention of persons in police custody and the situation...
The CPT visits Turkey
The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons who have been detained in connection with the recent military coup attempt. To this end, the delegation interviewed in private several hundred persons in various prisons and police establishments in the...
The CPT visits "hotspots" in Greece
One of the primary purposes of the visit was to examine the situation in the “Reception and Identification Centres” (so-called “hotspots”) on the islands of Chios, Lesvos and Samos and to evaluate any developments since the Committee’s April 2016 visit. The delegation also visited a number of...
The CPT holds its July 2016 plenary meeting
During this meeting, it adopted the reports on its periodic visits to France (November 2015), Germany (November/December 2015) and the United Kingdom (March/April 2016), and on its ad hoc visits to the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation (February 2016), Spain (treatment of foreign...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Bosnia and Herzegovina
The report focuses on the treatment of persons in police custody, the situation in the prisons of both Entities and psychiatric facilities in the Sarajevo Canton. It also assesses the extent to which the recommendations made after previous CPT visits in 2011 and 2012 have been implemented. The...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on the Republic of Moldova
The information gathered during the visit indicated that the situation as regards the treatment of persons detained by the police in the Republic of Moldova had improved since the Committee’s previous visit in 2011. The great majority of persons interviewed by the CPT’s delegation who were, or...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Liechtenstein
The main objective of the visit was to review the measures taken by the Liechtenstein authorities to implement recommendations made by the Committee after its previous visits. In this context, the CPT’s delegation paid particular attention to the treatment and conditions of detention of prisoners...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Serbia
The report highlights that a significant number of allegations of physical ill-treatment of criminal suspects by police officers were received in the course of the visit. The allegations concerned primarily slaps, punches, truncheon blows, prolonged handcuffing in stressed positions but also acts...
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, 26 June
European and UN anti-torture bodies: duty to protect dignity of detained persons more relevant than ever in current global context of instability and economic crisis
Malcolm Evans, Chairperson of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (SPT), and Mykola Gnatovskyy, President of the Council of Europe European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or degrading Treatment or Punishment...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Serbia
The report highlights that a significant number of allegations of physical ill-treatment of criminal suspects by police officers were received in the course of the visit. The allegations concerned primarily slaps, punches, truncheon blows, prolonged handcuffing in stressed positions but also acts...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Switzerland
One of the aims of the visit was to examine the situation of persons detained in Swiss penitentiary establishments. Champ-Dollon (Geneva), "La Promenade" (la Chaux-de-Fonds), "La Farera" and "La Stampa" (Lugano) and Schwyz Prisons were inspected in this context. Detention conditions were very...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee holds high-level talks in Belgium
The main objective of the talks, which took place in Brussels on 21 June 2016, was to discuss the implementation of recommendations made by the Committee with a view to introducing a guaranteed minimum service in prisons during strikes and other industrial action by staff. These talks form part...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits the Netherlands
One of the main objectives of the visit was to examine the treatment and care of patients placed in penitentiary psychiatric centres. The CPT’s delegation also examined, for the first time, the situation of patients placed against their will in two civil psychiatric hospitals. Further, three...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee holds high-level talks in Finland
The main objective of the talks, which took place on 13 June 2016, was to discuss the implementation of the CPT’s long-standing recommendations aiming at stopping the practice of holding remand prisoners in police establishments (“police prisons”) and equipping all prison cells with toilets. The...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits prisons affected by strikes in Belgium
The purpose of the visit was to examine on the spot the impact of this industrial action, which has been continuing for two weeks, on the situation of inmates. In this context, particular attention has been paid to the distribution of meals and access to outdoor exercise and showers, as well as...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits prison on the island of Imralı (Turkey)
The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of the (four) prisoners currently held in the establishment and to review the measures taken by the Turkish authorities in the light of the recommendations made by the CPT after its previous visit to the prison (in...
The CPT visits Italy
The visit provided an opportunity to assess the conditions of detention and treatment of persons held in prisons, in particular as regards the measures recently introduced by the Italian authorities in order to curb the rate of prison overcrowding. In addition, the delegation examined the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Latvia
The main objective of the visit was to review the measures taken by the Latvian authorities to implement recommendations made by the Committee after its previous visits. In this context, the CPT’s delegation paid particular attention to the treatment and safeguards afforded to persons deprived of...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits “hotspots” in Greece
The purpose of the visit was to examine the situation of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty in the recently established “Reception and Identification Centres” (so-called “hotspots”). Particular attention was paid to the treatment, conditions, regime, health-care services and legal...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits the United Kingdom
The visit provided an opportunity to assess the conditions of detention and treatment of persons held in prisons in England, and to examine the safeguards afforded to persons deprived of their liberty by the police. The visit also had a specific focus on mental health establishments in England...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee announces visits to ten states in 2017
The Committee intends to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the following ten countries: Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Estonia Montenegro Poland Slovenia Turkey Ukraine Persons in possession of information concerning deprivation of liberty in any of these countries...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee calls upon states to review the treatment of life-sentenced prisoners
“It is inhuman to incarcerate a person for life without any real prospect of release”, said the CPT President Mykola Gnatovskyy. “This does not mean that every prisoner should necessarily be released at some stage, but individual plans and follow-up are essential to evaluate on a case-by-case...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Azerbaijan
The main objective of the visit was to review the measures taken by the Azerbaijani authorities in response to the recommendations made by the Committee after previous visits. In this connection, particular attention was paid to the treatment and conditions of detention of persons in police...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on 2013 visit to Belgium
One of the objectives of the visit was to examine the situation of inmates in various Belgian prisons, including in psychiatric annexes. In this context, the Antwerp, Forest, Merksplas and Tournai Prisons were visited. Despite the "Masterplan" for renovating and constructing new prisons,...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
The report examines the progress made since the Committee’s previous visits in 2010 and 2011, notably as concerns the situation in prisons and police stations. A further area of interest was the treatment of social care home residents and of patients in psychiatric hospitals. In addition, the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Albania
The main focus of the visit was to review the action taken by the Albanian authorities to implement recommendations made by the Committee after previous visits, in particular as regards the treatment of detained persons and conditions of detention in police detention facilities and prisons. The...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Greece
The CPT’s findings from the 2015 visit illustrate once again the widespread and deep-rooted problem of police ill-treatment in Greece and the report makes specific reference to the excessive use of force employed by the Delta motorcycle police unit in Athens. The CPT urges the authorities to...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee returns to the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation
In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation returned to the Republics of Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria in order to review the implementation of recommendations made after previous visits regarding the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by law enforcement agencies. For this...
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