Visit to Albania by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture

STRASBOURG, 31 10.2001 - 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 a five-day ad hoc visit to Albania. The visit began on 22 October 2001. It was the Committee's fourth visit to Albania.

The visit was carried out by two members of the CPT, Mario BENEDETTINI (San Marinese) (Head of delegation) and Antoni ALEIX CAMP (Andorran). They were assisted by Odile DIAMANT-BERGER, former Head of the Emergency Forensic Medical Service at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Paris, France, (expert) and Catherine PAULET, Psychiatrist, Regional Medical and Psychological Service, Marseille, France, (expert), as well as by Fabrice KELLENS and Edo KORLJAN of the CPT's Secretariat.

In the course of its visit, the CPT's delegation met Sokol AZIZI, Deputy Minister of Justice, Petrit VASILI, Deputy Minister of Health, Fatmir BRAHIMI, Director General of Hospitals, and Bilbil MEMI, Director General of the Police. The delegation held also talks with Arben RAKIPI, Prosecutor General, and Ermir DOBJANI, Ombudsman.

The aim of the visit was, on one hand, to examine the implementation in practice of the recommendations concerning Vlora Psychiatric Hospital made by the CPT after its December 2000 periodic visit and, on the other hand, to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by law enforcement agencies. For this purpose, the delegation visited several police establishments and also interviewed a considerable number of persons who had recently been in police custody. In addition, the delegation reviewed specific police-related issues which had been the subject of recommendations following the December 2000 visit.

The delegation visited the following establishments:

Police Stations N° 1, 3 and 4, Tirana
Vlora Police Station

Vlora Psychiatric Hospital

The delegation also went to the medical service and remand section of Prison N° 313, as well as to the Prison Hospital, in Tirana, in order to gather further information relating to deprivation of liberty by the police.

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.

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The CPT was set up under the 1987 European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. 41 of the 43 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. When they joined the Council of Europe in January 2001, Armenia and Azerbaijan undertook to ratify the Convention within one year.

The CPT is composed of persons from a variety of backgrounds: lawyers, medical doctors, police and 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 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 other visits which appear to it to be required in the circumstances.

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Further information about the CPT may be obtained from:

-     the CPT's Internet Site: www.cpt.coe.int

-     the CPT’s Secretariat: tel. +33 3 88 41 39 39; fax +33 3 88 41 27 72; e-mail cptdoc@coe.int