What's New ?  |  About the CPT  |  Members  |  States  |  Visits  |  Documents  |  Database

Press Release

STRASBOURG, 06.05.99 - A delegation of the COUNCIL OF EUROPE Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has recently carried out a two-week visit to Portugal. The visit began on 19 April 1999 and was organised within the framework of the CPT's programme of periodic visits for 1999. It was the Committee's third periodic visit to Portugal.

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

- Ivan ZAKINE, President of the CPT, Head of the delegation (French)

- Vitaliano ESPOSITO (Italian)

- Zdenek HÁJEK (Czech)

- Aurel KISTRUGA (Moldovan)

- Gisela PERREN-KLINGLER (Swiss)

- Florin STANESCU (Romanian).

They were assisted by two experts - Cyrille ORIZET (Psychiatrist, University Hospital, Nancy, France), and Jean-Pierre RESTELLINI (Specialist in Forensic Medicine and Internal Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland) - as well as by Jan MALINOWSKI and Bojana URUMOVA of the CPT's Secretariat.

The delegation visited the following places:

Law enforcement agencies

-        Headquarters at Rua Venâncio Rodrigues, Coimbra

Public Security Police

-        Headquarters at Praça Marquês de Pombal, Aveiro
-        Headquarters at Rua Olímpio Nicolau Rui Fernandes, Coimbra
-        Headquarters at Largo de São Pedro, Leiria
-        Headquarters at Avenida Luisa Tódy, Setúbal

-        Holding facilities at Rua Capelo (Governo Civil), Lisbon
-        Holding facilities at Quartel da Bela Vista, Rua Monte Aventino, Oporto

-        Police Station at Largo do Calvário, Lisbon
-        Police Station at Rua de Naulila, Antas, Oporto

National Republican Guard

-        Headquarters at Avenida Dias da Silva, Coimbra
-        Headquarters at Largo de Santo Estevão, Leiria
-        Headquarters at Avenida Jaime Cortesão, Setúbal

Foreigners and Border Police

-        Temporary holding facilities at Lisbon Airport

Prisons

- Coimbra Regional Prison (including the detention facility at the Judicial Police Headquarters)
- Leiria Special Prison
- Lisbon Central Prison
- Oporto Central Prison

- Sobral Cid Hospital, Coimbra

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 Portugal and its consultations with the Portuguese 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. 40 of the 41 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, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the 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. 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/(0)3 88 41 25 97; fax +33/(0)3 88 41 27 90; e-mail pressunit@coe.fr

• the CPT’s Secretariat:
  tel. +33/(0)3 88 41 23 88; fax +33/(0)3 88 41 27 72; e-mail cptdoc@coe.int

A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe promotes democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 41 member states.