MONITORING of CUSTODIAL SETTINGS in UKRAINE: Status of Implementation of the National Preventive Mechanism
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Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights MONITORING OF CUSTODIAL SETTINGS IN UKRAINE: Status of implementation of the national preventive mechanism REPORT for Monitoring of custodial settings in Ukraine: Status of implementation of the national preventive mechanism. REPORT for 2013/ Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. Kyiv, 2013. -- 204 In the event of reproduction, in full or in part, reference to the publication is obligatory. The report is published with the support of International Renaissance Foundation The opinions expressed in the report are of its authors and may not reect the views of International Renaissance Foundation Secretariat of Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, 2014. Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights MONITORING OF CUSTODIAL SETTINGS IN UKRAINE: Status of implementation of the national preventive mechanism REPORT for 2013 Kyiv – 2014 3 CONTENTS SECTION 1. IMPLEMENATION OF THE NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM IN UKRAINE: SPECIFIC FEATURES ....................................................................................... 5 1.1. Background information on NPM in Ukraine .......................................................................................................5 1.1.1. UKRAINE’S OBLIGATIONS WITH REGARD TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREAT- MENT OR PUNISHMENT .............................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1.2. SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE “OMBUDSMAN +”NPM FORMAT IN UKRAINE ..................................... 6 1.1.3. THE ROLE OF NGOs IN NPM IMPLEMENTATION .....................................................................................12 1.2. Key indicators of the NPM operation in Ukraine in 2013 ............................................................................. 18 SECTION 2. MONITORING OF CUSTODIAL SETTINGS: FINDINGS, BY MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES ......................................................................................................................... 27 2.1. Results of monitoring of custodial settings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine ................ 27 2.2. Results of monitoring of custodial settings of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine ................. 60 2.3. Results of monitoring of custodial settings of the State Border Service of Ukraine ......................... 103 2.4. Results of monitoring of custodial settings of the State Migration Service ........................................ 108 2.5. Results of monitoring of custodial settings of the Ministry of Defense ............................................... 110 2.6. Results of monitoring of custodial settings of the State Court Administration of Ukraine ............ 116 2.7. Results of monitoring of institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine ........... 119 2.8. Results of monitoring of custodial settings of the Ministry of Social Policy ........................................ 138 2.9. Results of monitoring of custodial settings under the Ministry of Health Care ................................. 157 SECTION 3. RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPOVEMENTS OF THE SITUATION WITH THE RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS (BASED ON THE RESULTS OF MONITORING IN 2013) ... 173 3.1. For the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. .................................................................................................................. 173 3.2. For the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine: ........................................................................................................... 176 3.3. For the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine: ............................................................................................... 177 3.4. For the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine: ................................................................................................ 181 3.5. For the State Border Service of Ukraine: .......................................................................................................... 182 3.6. For the State Migration Service of Ukraine: .................................................................................................... 183 3.7. For the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: ............................................................................................................ 183 3.8. For the State Court Administration of Ukraine: ............................................................................................. 184 3.9. For the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: ............................................................................... 185 3.10. For the Ministry of Social Policies of Ukraine: .............................................................................................. 186 3.11. For the Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine: ................................................................................................. 187 Annex 1 ............................................................................................................................ 189 Annex 2 ............................................................................................................................ 187 SECTION 1. 5 SECTION 1. IMPLEMENATION OF THE NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM IN UKRAINE: SPECIFIC FEATURES 1.1. Background information on NPM in Ukraine 1.1.1. UKRAINE’S OBLIGATIONS WITH REGARD TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT On July 21, 2006 the Verkhovna Rada to visit any place under its jurisdiction (Parliament) of Ukraine ratified OPCAT - and control where persons are or may be the Optional Protocol to the Convention deprived of their liberty, either by virtue against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman of an order given by a public authority or Degrading Treatment or Punishment or at its instigation or with its consent (Law of Ukraine # 22-V, of July 21, 2006). or acquiescence. These visits shall be According to OPCAT provisions each State undertaken with a view to strengthening, if Party is to set up, designate or maintain at necessary, the protection of these persons the domestic level one or several visiting against torture and other cruel, inhuman or bodies for the prevention of torture degrading treatment or punishment. and other cruel, inhuman or degrading As stipulated in part two of OPCAT Article treatment or punishment (national 4, “deprivation of liberty means any preventive mechanisms, or NPMs). form of detention or imprisonment or The Optional Protocol contains no the placement of a person in a public provisions regarding the format and or private custodial setting which that organizational structure of NPMs but person is not permitted to leave at will by obligates the State Parties to guarantee order of any judicial, administrative or the functional independence of national other authority.” preventive mechanisms as well as the For efficient performance of their functions independence of their personnel, to make NPMs, under Article 19 of OPCAT, are available the necessary resources for granted the following powers: NPM functioning and, when establishing national preventive mechanisms, to give (a) To regularly examine the treatment of due consideration to the principles relating the persons deprived of their liberty to the status of national institutions for the in places of detention as defined in promotion and protection of human rights. article 4, with a view to strengthening, if necessary, their protection against According to part one of Article 4 of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading OPCAT each State Party shall allow NPMs treatment or punishment; interviews with the persons deprived of their liberty without witnesses, (b) To make recommendations to the either personally or with a translator relevant authorities with the aim of if deemed necessary, as well as with improving the treatment and the any other person who the national conditions of the persons deprived preventive mechanism believes may of their liberty and to prevent torture supply relevant information; and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, taking into (e) Freedom to choose the places they want consideration the relevant norms of the to visit and the persons they want to United Nations; interview; (c) To submit proposals and observations (f) The right to have contacts with the concerning existing or draft legislation. Subcommittee on Prevention, to send it information and to meet with it. Under Article 20, the State Parties grant NPMs “No authority or official shall order, apply, permit or tolerate any sanction against (a) Access to all information concerning the any person or organization for having number of persons deprived of their communicated to the national preventive liberty in places of detention as defined mechanism any information, whether true in article 4, as well as the number of or false, and no such person or organization places and their location; shall be otherwise prejudiced in any way” (b) Access to all information referring to the (part one of Article 21). treatment of those persons as well as “Confidential information collected by their conditions of detention; the national preventive mechanism shall (c) Access to all places of detention and be privileged. No personal data shall be their installations and facilities; published without