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Press Release

Council of Europe anti-torture Committee: visits in 2008

Strasbourg, 04.12.2007 - In 2008, as part of its programme of regular "periodic" visits, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) intends to examine the treatment of people deprived of their liberty in the following ten countries:

• Cyprus                             (2004)
• Denmark                          (2002)
• Finland                             (2003)
• Italy                                  (2004)
• Lithuania                          (2004)
• Malta                                (2001)
• Montenegro
• Portugal                           (2003)
• Russian Federation          (2005)
• United Kingdom               (2003)

The date of the previous periodic visit to each country is indicated in the brackets.
The visit to Montenegro will be the first carried out by the CPT to this country since it became a Party to the anti-torture Convention in 2006.

Persons in possession of information concerning deprivation of liberty in any of these countries which they believe could assist the CPT are invited to bring it to the Committee’s attention.

Other “ad hoc” visits that appear to the CPT to be required in the circumstances will also be organised during 2008.

The CPT's field of operations covers all 47 member States of the Council of Europe.

The Committee has the right to visit, at any time, any place where persons are deprived of their liberty by a public authority. It also has the right to interview in private detained persons, and to enter into contact with anyone else who may be able to provide relevant information. After each visit, the CPT sends a confidential report containing its conclusions and recommendations to the State concerned. This constitutes the basis for a dialogue between the CPT and the national authorities in order to strengthen the protection of detained persons from ill-treatment.

• For more details about the CPT or to contact it, consult the following website: www.cpt.coe.int
• Contacts: Patrick Müller, Secretariat of the CPT, Council of Europe, Tel. +33 3 88 41 23 88; patrick.muller@coe.int ; Jaime Rodriguez, Press Division of the Council of Europe, Tel. +33 3 90 21 47 04 ; Mobile +33 6 89 99 50 42 ; jaime.rodriguez@coe.int
• A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details please access our page "For the press".