News Flash
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits
Ukraine
Strasbourg, 14.12.07 - 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 visit to Ukraine from 5 to 10 December 2007.
The main purpose of the visit was to examine the situation of foreign nationals
detained under aliens legislation, and to review progress made in this area in
the light of the recommendations contained in the CPT’s report on its previous
visit to Ukraine in 2005. In the course of the visit, the delegation focused on
detention facilities under the authority of the State Border Service. It also
visited several establishments subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs
and used for holding administrative detainees.
During the visit, the delegation held consultations with senior officials of the
State Border Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the State Department
on Enforcement of Sentences, as well as with representatives of other Ministries
and agencies. Meetings were also held with the UNHCR Regional Representation in
Kyiv and members of non-governmental organisations.
At the end of the visit the delegation presented its preliminary observations to
the national authorities.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Andres LEHTMETS (Estonian), 2nd
Vice-President of the CPT and Head of delegation
- Wolfgang HEINZ (German)
- Celso José DAS NEVES MANATA
(Portuguese)
- Olivera VULIC (Montenegrin).
They were supported by Petya NESTOROVA, Head of Division in the CPT’s
Secretariat.
The delegation visited the following places:
Establishments under the authority of the State Border Service
- Temporary holding centre in
Pavshino
- Temporary holding facility*
and Specially equipped premises** at Chop Border Guard Command
- Specially equipped premises at
Mukachevo Border Guard Command
- Temporary holding rooms at the
Border Guard Unit at Kyiv Boryspil Airport
- Border Guard Unit at Astei
- Border Guard Unit No. 9, Uzhgorod
Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Centre for the reception and
distribution of vagrants, Kyiv
- Special detention centre for
administrative arrestees, Kyiv
- Centre for the reception and
distribution of vagrants, Uzhgorod
______________________________
* In principle, intended for
stays of up to 10 days.
** In principle, intended for stays of up to 3 days.
- A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details
please access our page "For the press".
