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STRASBOURG, 23.05.2001 - A delegation of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recently carried out a six-day visit to Malta. The visit began on 13 May 2001 in Valetta, and was organised within the framework of the CPT's programme of periodic visits for 2001. It was the Committee's third periodic visit to Malta.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- John OLDEN, Head of delegation
(Irish)
- Christina DOCTARE (Swedish)
- Pétur HAUKSSON (Icelandic)
- Anhelita KAMENSKA (Latvian)
- Yuri KUDRYAVTSEV (Russian).
They were assisted by Bojana URUMOVA and Edo KORLJAN of the CPT's Secretariat.
In the course of its visit, the CPT's delegation met Lawrence Gonzi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Policy, Tonio Borg, Minister for Home Affairs, and Louis Deguara, Minister of Heath, as well as senior officials from those Ministries. It also held discussions with Anthony Borg Barthet, Attorney General and Joseph Sammut, Ombudsman.
The delegation visited the following places:
Police establishments
- Fort Mosta Police Station
- St. Julian's Police Station (*)
- Sliema Police Station (*)
- Valetta Police Station
- Victoria Police Station (Gozo)
- Xaghra Police Station (Gozo)
- Cells at Luqa International
Airport (*)
- Ta'Kandja Police Complex, Siggiewi
(*)
- Lock-up at the Courts of Justice,
Valetta (*)
Prisons
- Corradino Correctional
Facility (*)
- Substance Abuse Therapeutic
Unit, Mtahleb
Psychiatric institutions
- Mount Carmel Hospital (forensic ward), Attard (*)
__________
(*) follow-up visit.
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 Malta and its consultations with the Maltese authorities are confidential.
* * *
The CPT was set up under the 1987 European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Forty one of the 43 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, Georgia, 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 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 and to interview those persons in private. 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:
Sabine ZIMMER, tel. +33 3 88 41
25 97; fax +33 3 88 41 27 90; e-mail pressunit@coe.int
Cathie BURTON, tel. +33 3
88 41 28 93; fax +33 3 88 41 27 90; e-mail pressunit@coe.int
- the
CPT’s Secretariat: tel. +33 3 88 41 39 39; fax +33 3 88 41 27 72;
e-mail cptdoc@coe.int
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