News Flash
Strasbourg, 20-06-2007 - A delegation of the Committee for the Prevention of
Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) of the Council of
Europe carried out a visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 4 to 14 June
2007. This was the CPT's fourth periodic visit to the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, and it included visits to establishments in the Kingdom in Europe
as well as in Aruba and in the Netherlands Antilles.
The visit to the Kingdom in Europe was carried out by the following members of
the CPT:
- Andres LEHTMETS (Head of the
Delegation) (Estonian)
- Haritini DIPLA (Greek)
- Marc NEVE (Belgian).
They were assisted by Marco LEIDEKKER, of the CPT's Secretariat, and by Jurgen
VAN POECKE, Director of ‘De Grubbe’ Youth detention centre in Everberg, Belgium.
In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation met Guusje TER HORST, Minister
of Interior, Ernst HIRSCH BALLIN, Minister of Justice, and Nebahat ALBAYRAK,
State Secretary of Justice. The delegation also met with Alex BRENNINKMEIJER,
National Ombudsman, and Peter VAN DER SANDE, deputy head of the National Agency
for Correctional Institutions.
The CPT's visit to the Kingdom in Europe provided an opportunity to examine
recently opened detention facilities, such as the Terrorist departments in ‘De
Schie’ and ‘Vught’ Prisons, and immigration detention centres in Rotterdam and
Dordrecht. The delegation also reviewed the treatment of juveniles in an
establishment for youth detention.
The delegation visited the following places of deprivation of liberty:
Law enforcement establishments
in The Hague
- Burgemeester Patijnlaan Police
Station
- Hoefkade Police Station
in Rotterdam
- Doelwater Police Station
- Schiedamseweg Police Station
- Zuidplein Police Station
Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice
- the Terrorist departments at ‘De
Schie’ and ‘Vught’ Prisons;
- the detention boats ‘Stockholm’ in
Rotterdam and ‘Kalmar’ in Dordrecht;
- the Expulsion Centre at Rotterdam
airport;
- ‘De Hartelborgt’ youth detention
centre, in Spijkenisse.
The visits to Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles were carried out
by the following members of the CPT:
- Mario FELICE (Head of the Group)
(Maltese)
- Tim DALTON (Irish)
- Ann-Marie ORLER (Swedish).
They were assisted by Caterina BOLOGNESE, of the CPT's Secretariat, and by Eric
DURAND, medical doctor, former Head of medical services at Fleury-Mérogis
Prison, France.
In the course of the visit to Aruba, the delegation met Rudy CROES, Minister of
Justice, Nico JORG, Solicitor-General, Hans MOS, Chief Public Prosecutor, Peter
DE WITTE, Chief of Police, and Laurence PASKEL, Director of Government Security
(IASA).
The delegation examined the measures taken by the authorities of Aruba in
response to the recommendations made by the Committee following its visit in
1994. It visited the Correctional Institution of Aruba (KIA) and the police
stations of Noord, Oranjestad, and San Nicolaas. The delegation also visited the
‘Centro di Deportacion’ for immigration detainees.
During the visit to the Netherlands Antilles, the delegation met David
DICK, Minister of Justice, Lizanne RICHARDS-DINDIAL, Lieutenant Governor of
Curaçao, Dick PIAR, Attorney General of the Netherlands Antilles, and Carlos
CASSERES, Acting Chief Commissioner of Police of Curaçao. The delegation also
held talks with Fred WIEL, the Ombudsman for Curaçao.
The delegation examined the measures taken by the authorities of the Netherlands
Antilles in response to the recommendations made by the Committee following its
visit in 2002 to Bon Futuro Prison, including the Police Detention Unit (Block
No. 1). It also visited three other police establishments in Curaçao: Barber,
Punda, and Rio Canario police stations, as well as the ‘Illegalen Barakken’ for
immigration detainees.
The CPT’s delegation also visited, for the first time, the island of Bonaire, in
particular the Remand Prison and Kralendijk and Rincon police stations.
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please access our page "For the press".
