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Strasbourg, 03.04.2007 - A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recently carried out a twelve-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The visit, which began on 19 March 2007, was the CPT’s second periodic visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The visit provided an opportunity to assess the progress made since the first periodic visit in April/May 2003 and the ad hoc visit in December 2004. The CPT’s delegation examined in detail various issues related to prisons, including the regime and treatment of remand prisoners and of those prisoners placed in administrative and disciplinary isolation. The delegation also focused its attention on the situation of forensic psychiatric patients and looked into the treatment of patients at a psychiatric hospital, and of residents in two social care homes. Particular attention was also paid to the treatment of persons detained by the police and to the practical operation of the safeguards in place.
In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation held consultations with Barisa ČOLAK, Minister of Justice, Srđjan ARNAUT, Deputy Minister of Justice and Slavko MARIN, Deputy State Minister of Human Rights and Refugees as well as senior officials from relevant State and Entity Ministries. It also met with the State Ombudsman and the Chief Prosecutor of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and held discussions with members of non-governmental and international organisations active in areas of concern to the CPT.
At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary
observations to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Renate KICKER (Austrian), Head of
delegation and 1st Vice-President of the CPT
- Gergely FLIEGAUF (Hungarian)
- Eugenijus GEFENAS (Lithuanian)
- Pétur HAUKSSON (Icelandic)
- Antonius VAN KALMTHOUT (Dutch).
They were supported by Hugh CHETWYND (Head of Division) and Marco LEIDEKKER of
the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by two experts: Clive MEUX, consultant
forensic psychiatrist, Oxford (United Kingdom) and Alan MITCHELL, Former Head of
the Scottish Prison Health Care Service (United Kingdom).
The delegation visited the following places:
Police establishments
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Goražde Police Station, Canton
of Bosna Podrinje
- Konjic Police Station, Canton of
Herzegovina-Neretva
- Mostar Centar Police Station,
Canton of Herzegovina-Neretva
- Novo Sarajevo Police Station,
Canton of Sarajevo
- Zenica Police Station, Canton of
Zenica-Doboj
Republika Srpska
- Bratunac Police Station
- East Sarajevo Police Station
- Foča Police Station
- Pale Police Station
- Srebrenica Police Station
- Višegrad Police Station
Prison establishments
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Remand section of Mostar Prison
- Sarajevo Remand Prison
- Zenica Closed Prison
Republika Srpska
- Remand section of East Sarajevo
Prison
- Foča Closed Prison
The delegation also interviewed prisoners and staff at Doboj Prison
and certain prisoners at Banja Luka Prison
Psychiatric institutions
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Forensic Psychiatric Unit in
Zenica Prison
Republika Srpska
- Sokolac Psychiatric Hospital
The delegation also visited the military hospital near Sokolac
which it is proposed to convert into a State-level hospital for forensic
psychiatric patients.
Social care homes
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Fojnica ‘Drin’ Home for Mentally Disabled Persons
Republika Srpska
- Višegrad Institution for the Protection of Female Children and Youth
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