News Flash
Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee visits Andorra
11.02.2004 - A delegation of the European Committee for the Prevention of
Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recently carried
out a four-day visit to Andorra. The visit began on 3 February 2004. It was the
Committee's second visit to Andorra.
The CPT's delegation examined the measures taken by the Andorran authorities
in response to the recommendations made following its previous visit (in 1998),
in particular in respect of the safeguards offered to persons detained by the
police and the regimes for prisoners. It also examined the conditions of
hospitalisation of prisoners.
The delegation visited the Police Headquarters in Escaldes-Engordany, as well
as the two prison establishments Casa de la Vall and La Comella and the two
secure rooms for health care to prisoners at the Meritxell Nostra Senyora
Hospital in Andorra-la-Vella.
During the visit, the CPT's delegation held discussions with Josep Maria
CABANES, Minister for Justice and Interior, and Mònica CODINA, Minister for
Health and Welfare, as well as with senior officials of those Ministries. It
also met Ricard FITER, Ombudsman (Raonador del Ciutadà).
The visit was carried out by two members of the CPT, Roger BEAUVOIS, Head of
the delegation (French), and Mario BENEDETTINI (San Marinese). They were
supported by Muriel ISELI and Cyrille ORIZET of the CPT's Secretariat and
assisted by Jean-Paul CERE, lawyer, senior lecturer at the University of Pau,
France (expert).
