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Press Release

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

STRASBOURG, 31.05.2000 - 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 two week visit to France. The visit started in Paris on 14 May 2000 and was carried out within the framework of the CPT’s programme of periodic visits for the year 2000. It was the Committee's fifth visit to France, the previous visits having taken place in 1991, 1994 (two visits) and 1996.*

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

• Pierre SCHMIT, Head of delegation (Luxemburger)
• Yuri KUDRYAVTSEV (Russian)
• Petros MICHAELIDES (Cypriot)
• Marc NÈVE (Belgian)
• Volodymyr YEVINTOV (Ukrainian)

They were assisted by Andre LAUBSCHER (Director of the Department of Nursing at the University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland), Jean-Pierre RESTELLINI (Specialist in forensic and internal medicine, Geneva, Switzerland) Micheline ROELANDT (Psychiatrist, Brussels, Belgium), as well as by Geneviève MAYER (Deputy Executive Secretary) and Jan MALINOWSKI of the CPT’s Secretariat.

During this fifth visit, the CPT’s delegation met Mrs Elisabeth GUIGOU, Minister of Justice, Mr Jean-Pierre CHEVÈNEMENT, Minister of the Interior and Mrs Dominique GILLOT, Secretary of State for Health and Handicapped persons. It also met Mr Jean-Marc SAUVE, Secretary General of the French Government. In addition, the delegation had a series of consultations with senior officials of various ministries, including Mrs Martine VIALLET, Director of the Prison Administration, as well as representatives of the General Inspectorate of the National Police and the General Inspectorate of the Services of the Paris Police Prefecture.

The delegation visited the following places:

Prisons

• Public Establishment of National Health, Fresnes
• Fresnes Remand Prison (isolation and disciplinary units)
• Lannemezan Prison
• Lyon Remand Prison ("Saint-Paul")
• Paris Remand Prison ("La Santé") **

Police establishments

• Departmental Service of the Seine-Saint-Denis Criminal Police (SDPJ 93) and Police Station (including the Administrative Detention Centre), Paul Vaillant Couturier Avenue

• Police Headquarters, Departmental Directorate of Public Security, Marius Berliet Street, 8^th administrative district
• Police Station, Georges Dimitrov Avenue, Vaulx en Velin

• Marseille-Arenc Administrative Detention Centre **

• Police Headquarters, Bourgogne Street

• Police Station, Eugène et Marie-Louise Cornet Street

• "Dépôt" of the Paris Police Prefecture (including the Administrative Detention Centre), quai de l’Horloge, 1st administrative district **
• National Anti-Terrorist Division
• Detention facility of the General Inspectorate of the National Police, Cambacérès Street, 8^th administrative district
• Reuilly Police Headquarters, Hénard Street, 12th administrative district

• Holding areas and Border Police detention facilities, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport **
• Holding area, Hôtel Ibis **

• Police Headquarters, Departmental Directorate of Public Security, Nuée Bleue Street
• Detention facilities of the Border Police, Strasbourg, Pont de l’Europe

• Territorial Brigade at Lannemezan
• Administrative Detention Centre, Strasbourg-Geispolsheim

Holding facilites of the Customs Administration

• Strasbourg Surveillance and Intervention Brigade, Pont de l’Europe

Health establishments

• Yzeure Hospital, Moulins-Yzeure Hospital Centre
• Unit for Difficult Patients at Sarreguemines Special Hospital Centre

• "Petit Dépôt", New Palais de Justice, Lyon

Moreover, the delegation went to Perpignan Prison in order to meet a prisoner who had recently been transfered from Lannemezan Prison.

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 during its visit to France and its consultations with the French authorities are confidential.

* Reports on these visits as well as the responses of the French authorities have been made public at the request of the French Government. These documents can be consulted on the CPT's website or obtained from the CPT's Secretariat.

** Follow-up visit.

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 organises periodic visits as well as any other visits which appear to it to be required in the circumstances.

Further information may be obtained from:

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

• the Council of Europe Press Department:
  During working hours : Sabine ZIMMER, tel. +33/(0)3.88.41.25.97; fax +33/(0)3.88.41.27.90;
  e-mail pressunit@coe.int
  1-2 June : Christiane DENNEMEYER, tel : +33/(0)6.85.11.64.94
  3-4 June : Wolfgang RÖSSLE, tel : +33/(0)6.07.52.95.03

• 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