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Press Release

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture:

Publication of the reports on two visits to Spain and of the Spanish Government's responses

STRASBOURG, 13.04.2000.- The Spanish Government has requested the publication of the reports of the COUNCIL OF EUROPE's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) on its visits to Spain from 17 to 18 January 1997 and from 22 November to 4 December 1998, and of the Government's responses.

Under Article 11 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the information gathered by the Committee in relation to a visit, its report and its consultations with the State concerned are confidential. However, the State may decide to lift the rule of confidentiality provided for in the Convention.

Ad hoc visit in January 1997

The CPT's delegation visited the General Directorate of the Civil Guard (Calle Guzmán el Bueno, Madrid). Further, at Madrid V (Soto del Real) Prison it interviewed Mr Jesús Arcauz Arana, who had very recently been detained at the General Directorate of the Civil Guard following his removal from France, where he had been imprisoned. In the course of the visit, the delegation also held discussions with a Central Examining Judge and a forensic doctor at the Audiencia Nacional.

The delegation visited the following places:

National Police Stations

Police Headquarters, Via Laietana, Barcelona
Police Headquarters, Calle Arquitecto Bergés, Jaén
Police Headquarters, Calle Luis Doreste Silva, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Central Duty Inspection, Calle la Tacona, Moratalaz, Madrid
Provincial Brigade of the Judicial Police, Plaza de Pontejos, Madrid

Police Station, Avenida Gatassa, Mataró
Santa Catalina District Police Station, Calle Dr. Miguel Rosas,
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Police Station at the Port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Civil Guard establishments

Civil Guard Headquarters, Travessera de Gràcia, Barcelona
Civil Guard Headquarters, Calle Alicante, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Other establishments

Catalan Autonomous Police (Mossos d'Esquadra) Station, Calle Bolivia, Barcelona
Municipal Detention Facility, La Riera, Mataró

Prisons

Barcelona Prison for Men (Modelo)
Jaén Prison
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Prison (Salto del Negro)
Madrid V Prison (Soto del Real)

Psychiatric institutions

Centro San Juan de Dios Psychiatric Institution, Ciempozuelos

In addition, the delegation inspected the cellular accommodation aboard the vessel JJ Sister, in which prisoners may be transported between the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.

The CPT was set up under the 1987 European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 40 of the 41 member States of the Council of Europe are bound by the Convention: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The remaining State - Georgia - signed the Convention on 16 February 2000.

The CPT is composed of persons from a variety of backgrounds: lawyers, medical doctors, prison experts, persons with parliamentary experience, etc. The Committee's 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. The Committee may formulate recommendations to strengthen, if necessary, their protection against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The CPT's reports and the responses of the Spanish Government may be obtained from:

• the CPT’s Internet Site: www.cpt.coe.int

• the Council of Europe Press Department:
  Sabine ZIMMER/Cathie BURTON, tel. +33/(0)3 88 41 25 97/28 93; fax +33/(0)3 88 41 27 90; e-mail pressunit@coe.int

• the CPT’s Secretariat:
  tel. +33/(0)3 88 41 23 88; fax : +33/(0)3 88 41 27 72; e-mail cptdoc@coe.int

The CPT's reports and the Government's responses may be obtained in Spanish from:

• Servicio de atención al ciudadano, Ministerio del Interior,
  calle Rafael Calvo 33, planta baja, E – Madrid 28071 (tel. 902150003).

A five page summary of the CPT's November/December 1998 visit report can be faxed upon request.