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STRASBOURG, 19.12.2000 - A delegation of the COUNCIL OF EUROPE Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has recently carried out an eleven-day visit to Albania. The visit began on 4 December 2000 and was organised within the framework of the CPT's programme of periodic visits for 2000. It was the Committee's third visit to Albania.
The delegation visited the northern (Shkodër, Burrel) and southern (Vlorë, Berat) regions of Albania. The delegation focused its attention on psychiatric hospitals and on remand facilities under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Order. The delegation also carried out follow-up visits to Tirana Prison Hospital and to Burrel Prison. Moreover, the delegation examined, for the first time, issues related to the detention of persons in development centres for physically and mentally handicapped children, as well as in military police, border police and customs' establishments.
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, Switzerland) and Catherine PAULET (Psychiatrist, Regional Medical and Psychological Service, Marseille, France), as well as by Fabrice KELLENS and Borys WÓDZ of the CPT's Secretariat.
The delegation visited the following places:
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Order
- Shkodër Police Directorate
- Vlorë Police Directorate
- Police Station and Border Police Post, Rinas Airport
- Police Station N° 1, Tirana
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health
- Shkodër Psychiatric Hospital
- Vlorë Psychiatric Hospital
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice
- Burrel Prison
- Tirana Prison Hospital
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
- Berat Development Centre
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance
- Customs' Post, Rinas Airport
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence
- Military Police Post (Unit 1100), Shkodër.
The delegation also held talks with the Director and the Head of the Medical Service at Prison N° 313 in Tirana, as well as with detainees recently placed on remand in that establishment.
At the outset of the visit, the delegation was received by Mr Ismaël LLESHI, Minister of Defence, Mr Leonard SOLIS, Minister of Health, Mr Arben IMAMI, Minister of Justice, and Mr Bujar HIMCI, Deputy Minister of Public Order. It also met Mr Petrit AGO, General Director of Customs at the Ministry of Finance and Mrs Natasha HODAJ, General Director of Social Affairs at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
In accordance with Article 11 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the information gathered by the CPT during its visit to Albania and its consultations with the Albanian authorities are confidential.
The CPT was set up under the 1987 European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. All 41 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, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, 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 and police 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 and to interview those persons in private. 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:
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