Press Release
Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee gains access to NATO
run detention facilities in Kosovo
Strasbourg, 19.07.2006 - Council of Europe experts will soon be able to visit
all detention facilities in Kosovo to verify whether detention conditions comply
with the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
An exchange of letter between Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on behalf of NATO, and
Terry Davis on behalf of the Council of Europe, has defined the modalities of
the inspections to NATO run detention facilities.
CPT visits to Kosovo will also include United Nations detention facilities in
Kosovo. An agreement with UNMIK had been
reached in 2004, but had not been implemented pending the outcome of
negotiations with NATO.
“We have succeeded in resolving a long-standing anomaly in the human rights
enforcement system in Europe. This arrangement will help us to ensure that there
are no exceptions to the absolute prohibition of torture and inhuman or
degrading treatment throughout the 46 member states of the Council of Europe.
This is good news for human rights in Europe” said Terry Davis, Secretary
General of the Council of Europe.
- A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details
please access our page "For the press".
