News Flash
Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee visits
Albania
05.04.06 - A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the
Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has
just completed a visit to Albania (28 to 31 March 2006).
The main objective of the visit was to examine the steps taken by the Albanian
authorities to implement recommendations made by the CPT after the May/June 2005
periodic visit. Particular attention was paid to the conditions of detention in
pre-trial detention facilities under the Ministry of the Interior. The
delegation also explored whether the 1996 Mental Health Act, which includes a
number of guarantees intended to safeguard the fundamental rights of psychiatric
patients, was being effectively implemented.
In the course of the visit, the delegation had meetings with the Prime Minister,
Mr Sali BERISHA, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Sokol OLLDASHI, the Minister
of Justice, Mr Aldo BUMÇI, and the Minister of Health, Mr Maksim CIKULI.
Further, it held in-depth discussions with senior officials from the Ministries
of the Interior, Justice and Health, as well as with several Directors of
psychiatric hospitals and a judge of Tirana District Court.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: Mauro PALMA,
First Vice-President of the CPT and Head of delegation (Italian), Mario
BENEDETTINI (San Marinese) and Marija DEFINIS-GOJANOVIĆ (Croatian). They were
supported by Michael NEURAUTER of the CPT's Secretariat.
The delegation visited the following places:
- Pre-trial detention facilities at
Durres Police Directorate
- Pre-trial detention facilities at
Fier Police Directorate
- Police Station N° 4, Tirana.
- A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details
please access our page "For the press".
