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Press Release

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture :

Publication of the report on the visit to Italy in 1995 and of the interim response of the Government of Italy

STRASBOURG, 04.12.97 - The Government of Italy has decided to make public the report of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) on its visit to Italy in 1995, and the interim report drawn up by the Italian authorities in response to the CPT's report.

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 concerned may agree to lift the rule of confidentiality provided for in the Convention.

The CPT's visit to Italy was carried out from 22 October to 6 November 1995. It was the Committee's second periodic visit to Italy (the first having taken place from 15-27 March 1992). The CPT's delegation visited the following places of detention:

Prisons

• Catania Prison (Piazza Lanza)
• Milan Prison (San Vittore) (follow-up visit)^*
• Naples Prison (Poggioreale)
• Rome Prison (Regina Coeli) (follow-up visit)^*
• Spoleto Prison
• Nisida Penal Institution for Minors, Naples

State Police

• Catania Police Headquarters, Via Manzone
• Naples Police Headquarters, Via Medina (follow-up visit)^*
• Rome Police Headquarters, Via di S. Vitale (follow-up visit)^*
• Police Station at Milan Central Railway Station
• Police Station at Rome-Termini Railway Station
• Police Station at Rome-Fiumicino International Airport
• Accommodation area in the transit zone of Rome-Fiumicino International Airport

Carabinieri

• Piazza Verga Carabinieri Station, Catania
• Piazza Dante Carabinieri Station, Catania
• Ponticelli Carabinieri Station, Naples
• Poggioreale Carabinieri Station, Naples
• Parioli Carabinieri Station, Rome

Finance Police

• Milan Regional Office
• Rome Special Office
• Fraud Department, Rome

Psychiatric Institutions

• Naples Judicial Psychiatric Hospital (follow-up visit)^*

In addition, certain persons were interviewed and specific matters were examined at the Naples Provincial Psychiatric Hospital Leonardo Bianchi.

(*) Establishments first visited by the CPT during its periodic visit to Italy in 1992.

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, Croatia (as from 1 February 1998), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova (as from 1 February 1998), the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The CPT is composed of persons from a variety of backgrounds: lawyers, 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. 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.

The CPT's report on its visit to Italy and the interim response of the Italian authorities (248 pages) can be obtained from:

• the Council of Europe's Human Rights Website:
  http://www.cpt.coe.int
• the Council of Europe Press Department:
  Sabine ZIMMER, 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

A 6 page summary of the CPT's main findings can be faxed upon request.

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.