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Council of Europe anti-Torture Committee visits Malta

Strasbourg, 30.05.2008 - 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 periodic visit to Malta from 20 to 26 May 2008. It was the Committee's sixth visit to Malta since 1990.

The delegation examined the treatment of persons detained by the police, irregular immigrants detained under the Immigration Act and prisoners in the Corradino Correctional Facility. It also visited several wards at the Mount Carmel Hospital as well as the Fejda Programme and Jeanne Antide establishments for female minors and juveniles.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Mr Carmelo MIFSUD BONNICI, Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, as well as with senior officials from this Ministry and the Ministry for Social Policy, the Malta Police Force and the Detention Service.

The delegation also met Mr Silvio CAMILLERI, Attorney-General, Mr Joseph SAID PULLICINO, Ombudsman, Ms Carmen ZAMMIT, Commissioner for Children, and Magistrate Anthony J. VELLA. Discussions were also held with representatives of the UNHCR, the Jesuit Refugee Service and Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl.

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

    -     Mauro PALMA (Italian), President of the CPT, Head of delegation
    -     Roland MARQUET (Monégasque)
     -    Marc NÈVE (Belgian)
    -     Ilvija PŪCE (Latvian)
    -     Pierre SCHMIT (Luxemburger)

They were supported by Fabrice KELLENS, Deputy Executive Secretary, and Kristian BARTHOLIN of the Secretariat of the CPT, and assisted by two experts: Gerard LAURENCIN, Psychiatrist at the Regional Medical and Psychological Service, Toulouse (France) and Sylvie SAROLEA, Lecturer in International Law at Louvain-la-Neuve University (Belgium).

The delegation visited the following establishments:

Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs

    -     Corradino Correctional Facility
    -     Floriana Police Headquarters Lock-Up
    -     St. Julian Police Station
    -     Valletta Police Station
    -     Ta’Kandja Detention Centre for Immigrants
    -     Lyster Barracks Detention Centre for Immigrants
    -     Safi Barracks Detention Centre for Immigrants

Ministry for Social Policy

    -     Mount Carmel Hospital
    -     Fejda Programme and Jeanne Antide establishments.

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