News Flash
Visit to Luxembourg
by the Council of Europe anti-torture Committee
Strasbourg, 30.04.2009 – A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee
for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
(CPT) carried out a visit to Luxembourg from 22 to 27 April 2009. It was the CPT
's fourth visit to Luxembourg.
The delegation reviewed the measures taken by the Luxembourg authorities to
implement the recommendations made by the Committee after its previous visits.
It focused in particular on the safeguards afforded to persons deprived of their
liberty by the police, and conditions at Luxembourg Prison and the State
Socio-Educational Centre at Dreiborn. In addition, the delegation visited the
Neuro-psychiatric hospital at Ettelbruck, where it paid special attention to the
living conditions and treatment of patients placed in closed units for minors
and adults. The legal safeguards for the procedure of involuntary placement of
mentally ill persons were also examined.
In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Luc FRIEDEN,
Minister of Justice, Mars DI BARTOLOMEO, Minister of Health, and Marie-Josée
JACOBS, Minister of Family and Integration, as well as with members of the Human
Rights Advisory Commission and senior officials from the ministries and services
concerned. The delegation also met Marie Anne RODESCH-HENGESCH, President of the
Committee for the Rights of the Child (Ombuds-Comité fir d'Rechter vum Kand).
At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary observations
to the Luxembourg authorities.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Marc NEVE (Belgian), Head of
Delegation
- Petros MICHAELIDES (Cypriot)
- Maria Rita MORGANTI (San Marinese)
- Jean-Pierre RESTELLINI (Swiss)
- Xavier RONSIN (French).
They were supported by Muriel ISELI and Stephanie MEGIES of the CPT’s
Secretariat, and assisted by Daniel GLEZER, psychiatrist, former Head of the
Regional Prison Psychiatric Service at the Regional Medical Psychological
Service, "Les Baumettes" Prison, Marseille, France (expert).
The delegation visited the following places:
- Regional Police Headquarters,
Luxembourg City (Glesener Street)
- Regional Police Headquarters,
Mersch (Colmar-Berg Street)
- Regional Police Headquarters,
Diekirch (Clairefontaine Street)
- Airport Police Directorate (UCPA),
Luxembourg Airport
- Luxembourg Prison, Schrassig,
including the temporary detention facility for irregular migrants
- State Socio-Educational Centre,
Dreiborn
- Neuro-psychiatric hospital,
Ettelbruck
- Secure rooms at Luxembourg Central
Hospital, Luxembourg City.
- A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details
please access our page "For the press".
