News Flash
Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee publishes report on
the Czech Republic
Strasbourg, 12.07.2007 – The Council of Europe's Committee for the prevention
of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) has published
today its report on the periodic visit to the Czech Republic in March/ April and
June 2006, together with the authorities’ response. These documents have been
made public at the request of the Czech Government.
The CPT received no allegations of recent physical ill-treatment of persons
during their period of custody in police establishments. However, a number of
allegations of excessive use of force by police officers at the time of
apprehension were heard.
The CPT continued to have serious concerns about the special regime in Mírov and
Valdice Prisons for persons sentenced to life imprisonment. Particular emphasis
was also placed by the Committee on the situation of other prisoners held in the
high-security unit (Section E) at Valdice Prison. As to the conditions of
detention in Ostrava and Liberec Prisons, the CPT makes a number of
recommendations, notably concerning the poor regime.
At Brno and Dobřany psychiatric hospitals, the CPT was pleased to note that the
use of net beds appeared to be decreasing. However, the treatment of patients on
protective treatment raised a number of issues, including the application of the
measure of castration, both chemical and surgical.
The delegation also visited the social care homes of Brandýs nad Labem, Prague 1
and Střelice, paying special attention to the legal safeguards surrounding the
placement of a resident in such an institution.
The CPT’s visit report and the
response of the Government of the Czech Republic
are available on the Committee’s website: http://www.cpt.coe.int
- A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details
please access our page "For the press".
