Report to the Government of the Slovak Republic
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CPT/Inf (97) 2 Report to the Government of the Slovak Republic on the visit to Slovakia carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 25 June to 7 July 1995 The Government of the Slovak Republic has agreed to the publication of this report and of its interim and follow-up reports in response. The latter are set out in document CPT/Inf (97) 3. Strasbourg, 3 April 1997 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report ............................................................................5 PREFACE ...........................................................................................................................................6 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................8 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................8 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................9 C. Consultations held by the delegation.......................................................................................9 D. Co-operation encountered during the visit...........................................................................10 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................12 A. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior ..................................12 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................12 2. Torture and other forms of physical ill-treatment ...........................................................13 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................18 a. introduction ............................................................................................................18 b. situation in the establishments visited....................................................................18 4. Safeguards against the ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty........................22 a. notification of apprehension...................................................................................22 b. access to a lawyer...................................................................................................23 c. access to a doctor ...................................................................................................24 d. information on rights..............................................................................................25 e. conduct of interrogations........................................................................................26 f. custody records.......................................................................................................27 g. persons detained under the Aliens' legislation .......................................................27 5. Holding Centre for Asylum Seekers in Adamov-Gbely..................................................28 a. introduction ............................................................................................................28 b. ill-treatment ............................................................................................................28 c. material conditions .................................................................................................29 d. regime.....................................................................................................................30 e. health care ..............................................................................................................30 f. information for the asylum seekers ........................................................................31 - 3 - B. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice ..........................................32 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................32 2. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment..........................................................................33 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................34 a. Bratislava Prison ....................................................................................................34 i. material conditions .......................................................................................34 ii. programme of activities ................................................................................35 b. Leopoldov Prison ...................................................................................................37 i. material conditions .......................................................................................37 ii. programme of activities ................................................................................38 4. Health-care services.........................................................................................................41 a. staff and facilities ...................................................................................................41 b. psychiatric and psychological care.........................................................................43 c. medical screening on admission.............................................................................44 d. issues related to transmissible diseases ..................................................................45 e. medical confidentiality...........................................................................................46 5. Other issues of relevance to the CPT's mandate..............................................................47 a. prison staff..............................................................................................................47 b. contact with the outside world ...............................................................................48 c. discipline and solitary confinement .......................................................................49 d. complaints and inspection procedures ...................................................................51 e. procedural safeguards for prisoners considered unadapted to an ordinary prison regime.....................................................................................................................52 f. foreign prisoners.....................................................................................................53 C. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Education.....................................54 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................54 2. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment..........................................................................55 3. Isolation ...........................................................................................................................56 4. Material conditions ..........................................................................................................57 5. Programme of activities...................................................................................................59 6. Health-care services.........................................................................................................60 7. Contact with the outside world........................................................................................61 - 4 - III. RECAPITULATION AND CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................63 A. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior ..................................63 B. Establishments under the Ministry of Justice ......................................................................65 C. Establishments under the Ministry of Education ................................................................67 D. Action on the CPT's recommendations, comments and requests for information ...........68 APPENDIX I : SUMMARY OF THE CPT'S RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ......................................................69 APPENDIX II : LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS WITH WHICH THE CPT'S DELEGATION HELD CONSULTATIONS .............................81 - 5 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report Strasbourg, 21 December 1995 Dear Minister, In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, I have the honour to enclose herewith the report to the Government of the Slovak Republic drawn up by the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) after its visit to Slovakia from 25 June to 7 July 1995. The report was adopted by the CPT at its twenty-seventh meeting, held from 4 to 8 December 1995. I would draw your attention in particular to paragraph 199 of the report, in which the CPT requests the Slovak authorities to provide an interim and a follow-up report on action taken upon its report. The CPT would be grateful if it were possible, in the event of the reports forwarded being in Slovak,