News Flash
New visit of the Council of Europe Anti-Torture
Committee
to Prison No 8 in Bender
STRASBOURG, 11.02.2004 - During a three-day visit which began on 3 February
2004, a delegation of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) re-examined the situation at
Prison No 8 in Bender. This establishment, last visited by the CPT in November
2003, has been cut off from running water and electricity supplies since 10 July
2003 by decision of the Bender municipal authorities. During the visit, the
delegation explored possible ways of ending the current deadlock concerning such
supplies.
The visit was carried out by two members of the CPT, Andres LEHTMETS, an
Estonian psychiatrist and First Vice-President of the CPT (Head of delegation),
and Mario FELICE, a Maltese lawyer. They were supported by Jan MALINOWSKI of the
CPT's Secretariat.
In the course of the visit, the CPT's delegation met Vasile DOLGHIERU,
Minister for Justice of the Republic of Moldova, and Valentin SEREDA, Director
General of Prison Services. The delegation also held talks with with Alexandr
Ivanovitch POSUDNEVSKY, Head of the Bender Municipal Administration.
* * *
Prison No 8 in Bender forms part of the penitentiary system of the Republic
of Moldova, but is located in an area under the control of the Transnistrian
region. That region of the Republic of Moldova unilaterally declared itself an
independent republic in 1991.
