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STRASBOURG, 22.12.98 - A delegation of the COUNCIL OF EUROPE Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recently carried out a five day visit to Albania. The visit began on 13 December 1998.
The CPT carried out a first visit to Albania in December 1997, in the course of which it visited various police, prison and psychiatric establishments (see Press Release Ref. 752a97). During the December 1998 visit, the CPT's delegation returned to Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital, Tirana Prison N° 313 and the Prison Hospital in Tirana, in order to ascertain whether the recommendations concerning those establishments made after the 1997 visit had been implemented.
In the course of the visit, the delegation also met Mr Petro KOÇI, Minister of Public Order, Mr Fatmir IBRAHIMI, Deputy Minister of Health, and Mr Sokol COMO, Deputy Minister of Justice.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
They were assisted by André LAUBSCHER (Director of the Department of Nursing at the University Hospitals, Geneva) (expert) and accompanied by Fabrice KELLENS, Head of Unit at the CPT’s Secretariat.
The CPT was set up under the 1987 European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. All the 40 member States of the Council of Europe are bound by the Convention: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania (as from 1 March 1999), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The CPT is composed of persons from a variety of backgrounds: lawyers, medical doctors, prison experts, persons with parliamentary experience, etc. The Committee's task is to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty. For this purpose, it is entitled to visit any place where such persons are held by a public authority. The Committee may formulate recommendations to strengthen, if necessary, their protection against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The CPT organises periodic visits as well as any other visits which appear to it to be required in the circumstances.
Further information may be obtained from:
A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe promotes democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 40 member states.
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