Report to the Bulgarian Government on the Visit to Bulgaria Carried Out
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CPT/Inf (2012) 9 Report to the Bulgarian Government on the visit to Bulgaria carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 18 to 29 October 2010 The Bulgarian Government has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2012) 10. Strasbourg, 15 March 2012 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's Report...........................................................................4 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................5 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................5 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................6 C. Consultations held by the delegation and co-operation encountered...................................7 D. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention .........................8 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................10 A. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs ...........................10 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................10 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................11 3. Safeguards against the ill-treatment of persons detained by the police...........................16 4. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................18 5. Special Home for Temporary Placement of Foreign Nationals in Busmantsi.................21 a. preliminary remarks ...............................................................................................21 b. ill-treatment ............................................................................................................22 c. conditions of detention...........................................................................................23 d. health care ..............................................................................................................25 e. other issues of relevance to the CPT’s mandate.....................................................26 B. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice ..........................................28 1. Investigation detention facilities......................................................................................28 a. preliminary remarks ...............................................................................................28 b. ill-treatment ............................................................................................................29 c. conditions of detention...........................................................................................30 d. health-care services ................................................................................................35 e. other issues related to the CPT’s mandate .............................................................36 2. Prison establishments ......................................................................................................37 a. preliminary remarks ...............................................................................................37 b. ill-treatment ............................................................................................................39 - 3 - c. conditions of detention...........................................................................................43 i. Plovdiv Prison ..............................................................................................43 ii. Varna Prison ................................................................................................47 iii. life-sentenced prisoners................................................................................50 d. health-care services ................................................................................................52 i. health-care services in Plovdiv and Varna Prisons .....................................52 ii. Lovech Prison Hospital................................................................................54 e. other issues related to the CPT’s mandate .............................................................57 i. prison staff....................................................................................................57 ii. contact with the outside world......................................................................57 iii. discipline and segregation............................................................................58 iv. complaints and inspection procedures.........................................................60 v. police officers carrying out investigative activities inside prisons ..............61 C. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Health...........................................62 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................62 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................62 3. Patients’ living conditions ...............................................................................................64 4. Staff and treatment...........................................................................................................65 5. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................68 6. Safeguards in the context of involuntary hospitalisation.................................................69 D. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy ...........72 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................72 2. Follow-up visit to the Home in Pastra .............................................................................72 3. Home for men with intellectual retardation in Oborishte................................................74 4. Staff and care of residents ...............................................................................................75 5. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................76 6. Safeguards .......................................................................................................................77 Appendix I: List of the CPT's recommendations, comments and requests for information................79 Appendix II: List of the national authorities and non-governmental and international organisations with which the CPT’s delegation held consultations .........................................................100 - 4 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report Ms Elena Doycheva Senior Expert International Legal Co-operation and European Affairs Directorate Ministry of Justice 1 Slavianska Street 1040 Sofia Bulgaria Strasbourg, 31 March 2011 Dear Ms Doycheva, In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, I enclose herewith the report to the Bulgarian Government drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) after its visit to Bulgaria from 18 to 29 October 2010. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 74th meeting, held from 7 to 11 March 2011. The recommendations, comments and requests for information formulated by the CPT are listed in Appendix I. As regards more particularly the CPT’s recommendations, having regard to Article 10 of the Convention, the Committee requests the Bulgarian authorities to provide within six months a response giving a full account of action taken to implement them. The CPT trusts that it will also be possible for the Bulgarian authorities to provide, in the above-mentioned response, reactions to the comments formulated in this report as well as replies to the requests for information made. The CPT would ask, in the event of the response being forwarded in Bulgarian, that it be accompanied by an English or French translation. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT's visit report or the future procedure. Yours sincerely, Lətif Hüseynov President of the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - 5 - I. INTRODUCTION A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation 1. In pursuance of Article 7 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”), a delegation of the CPT visited Bulgaria from 18 to 29 October 2010. The visit formed part of the Committee’s programme of periodic visits for 2010, and was the seventh visit to Bulgaria to be carried out by the CPT1. 2. The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: - Wolfgang HEINZ (Head of delegation) - Celso DAS NEVES MANATA - Mykola GNATOVSKYY - Vladimir ORTAKOV - Elena SEREDA