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Press Release

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

STRASBOURG, 18.09.97 - 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 two-week visit to Belgium. The visit, which began in Brussels on 31 August 1997, was carried out within the framework of the CPT's programme of periodic visits for 1997. It was the Committee's second periodic visit to Belgium, the first having taken place in 1993.

The members of the delegation were:

• Constantin ECONOMIDES (Head of the Delegation) (Greece)
• Arnold OEHRY (Liechtenstein)
• Gisela PERREN-KLINGLER (Switzerland)
• Florin STANESCU (Romania).

The delegation was assisted by Daniel GLEZER (Psychiatrist, Head of the Regional Prison Psychiatric Service, Regional Medical and Psychological Service at Marseilles "Les Baumettes" Remand Prison), Gordon LAKES (former Deputy Director General of the Prison Service of England and Wales) and Christian-Nils ROBERT (Professor of Penal Law, Faculty of Law, University of Geneva) as well as by two members of the CPT's Secretariat, Geneviève MAYER (Deputy Secretary of the CPT) and Borys WÓDZ.

The delegation visited the following places:

Police establishments

• Communal Police Stations, Lange Nieuwstraat and Noordlaan, Antwerp
• Communal Police Headquarters, rue du Collège, Ixelles
• Police Headquarters, rue Natalis, Liège (^*)
• Communal Police Stations, rue des Palais and place Colignon, Schaerbeek
• Communal Police Station, rue de l'Athénée, Tournai

Gendarmerie establishments

• Gendarmerie Brigade, Korte Vlierstraat, Antwerp
• Gendarmerie Brigade (*) and the Surveillance and Research Brigade, rue de la Croix de Fer, Brussels
• Gendarmerie Services at the "Palais de Justice", Brussels
• Gendarmerie Brigade, rue du Rossignol, Mons
• Gendarmerie Brigade, rue de la Citadelle, Tournai
• Gendarmerie Brigade, Wilrijk
• Security Unit (*) and Repatriation Service of the Gendarmerie at the Brussels-National Airport, Zaventem

Holding centres for aliens

• Centre for Illegal Aliens, Merksplas
• Repatriation Centre 127 "bis", Steenokkerzeel
• "INADS" Centre at the Brussels-National Airport, Zaventem
• Transit Centre 127 at the Brussels-National Airport, Zaventem

Prisons

• Merksplas Prison
• Mons Prison
• Lantin Prison (*)
• St-Gilles Prison (*)

Establishments of Social Defence

• Paifve Establishment of Social Defence
• Tournai Establishment of Social Defence

^* Establishments first visited by the CPT during its periodic visit in 1993.

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 in relation to its visit to Belgium and its consultations with the Belgian 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. The following member States of the Council of Europe are bound by the Convention: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (as from 1 October 1997), 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. Its 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. It 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.

For further information:

• the Council of Europe's Human Rights Webside:
  http://www.cpt.coe.int
• the Council of Europe Press Department:
  Ángel CALVO, Tel. +33/(0)3.88.41.25.97; fax +33/(0)3.88.41.27.90; e-mail unit.press@dircom.coe.fr
• the Committee for the Prevention of Torture's Secretariat:
  Tel. +33/(0)3.88.41.23.88; fax : +33/(0)3.88.41.27.72; e-mail cptdoc@coe.int

Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe is the oldest European organisation. Based in Strasbourg, France, it has 40 member countries and covers every policy area except defence. It is entirely separate from the European Union.