The focus of the visit was to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by the police and the practical application of safeguards surrounding their detention. It also looked into the manner in which complaints of ill-treatment of detained persons by police officers are handled, both disciplinary and criminal investigations and proceedings. Further, the treatment of remand prisoners and their conditions of detention were also examined, as were the material conditions in police stations.
In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Vladimir Rebić, Director of Police; Miloš Oparnica, Head of the Internal Control Sector of the Police; Radomir Ilić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice; Milan Stevović, Director of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions as well as other senior officials from the above-mentioned Ministries. Meetings were also held with two deputies of the Republic State Prosecutor; Miloš Janković, the Acting Ombudsman and Head of the National Preventive Mechanism and representatives of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights.
At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary observations to the Serbian authorities.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Marzena Ksel, 1st Vice-President of the CPT, Head of delegation
- Nico Hirsch
- Davor Strinović.
They were supported by Hugh Chetwynd, Head of Division, and Christian Loda of the Secretariat of the CPT, and assisted by one expert, Boštjan Škrlec, Director General of the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Slovenia.
The delegation visited the following places of deprivation of liberty:
Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior
- Metropolitan Police Headquarters, 29 November Street, Belgrade
- Stari Grad Police Station, Belgrade
- Novi Beograd Police Station, Belgrade
- Leskovac Police Station (Sever)
- Niš District Police Station
- Novi Sad District Police Station
- Pančevo District Police Station
- Pirot Police Station
Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice (remand sections only)
- Belgrade District Prison
- Čuprija Penal Correctional Institution
- Leskovac District Prison
- Niš Penal Correctional Institution (including the detention unit in Pirot)
- Novi Sad District Prison
- Pančevo District Prison
- Prokuplije District Prison
- Vranje District Prison
