Report to the Albanian Government on the Visit to Albania Carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture An
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CPT/Inf (2006) 24 Report to the Albanian Government on the visit to Albania carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 23 May to 3 June 2005 The Albanian Government has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government's response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2006) 25. Strasbourg, 12 July 2006 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report............................................................................5 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................6 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................6 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................7 C. Consultations held by the delegation and co-operation.........................................................7 D. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention .........................9 E. Corruption in the context of deprivation of liberty .............................................................10 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................11 A. Law enforcement establishments...........................................................................................11 1. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment..........................................................................11 2. Action to combat torture and ill-treatment ......................................................................14 a. clear instructions including from the highest political level ..................................14 b. fundamental safeguards against ill-treatment.........................................................15 c. medical examinations on admission to pre-trial detention facilities and prisons...17 d. combating impunity ...............................................................................................19 i. introduction...................................................................................................19 ii. individual cases ............................................................................................21 iii. assessment of accountability mechanisms on the basis of individual cases and action proposed............................................................................24 3. Pre-trial detention facilities .............................................................................................28 a. introduction ............................................................................................................28 b. conditions of detention...........................................................................................30 c. vulnerable detainees ...............................................................................................33 d. health-care services ................................................................................................34 4. Police custody..................................................................................................................35 - 3 - B. Prisons ......................................................................................................................................37 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................37 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................38 3. Conditions of detention of the general prison population ...............................................40 a. material conditions .................................................................................................40 b. regime.....................................................................................................................41 4. Life-sentenced prisoners at Tepelena Prison ...................................................................43 5. Conditions of detention of juvenile prisoners..................................................................44 6. Conditions of detention at Kruja Special Institute for Mentally Ill, Drug-addicted and Elderly Prisoners...............................................................................45 7. Health care.......................................................................................................................46 a. Prison Hospital .......................................................................................................46 b. Kruja Special Institute for Mentally Ill, Drug-addicted and Elderly Prisoners......49 c. health-care services in the prisons visited..............................................................50 d. professional independence .....................................................................................52 8. Other issues......................................................................................................................53 a. discipline ................................................................................................................53 b. security measures ...................................................................................................54 c. contact with the outside world ...............................................................................54 C. Vlora Psychiatric Hospital .....................................................................................................55 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................55 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................55 3. Patients' living conditions and treatment.........................................................................56 a. living conditions.....................................................................................................56 b. treatment of patients...............................................................................................58 4. Staff .................................................................................................................................59 5. Means of restraint and seclusion .....................................................................................59 6. Safeguards in the context of involuntary placement .......................................................60 a. initial placement and discharge procedures ...........................................................60 b. safeguards during placement..................................................................................62 - 4 - APPENDIX I: EXCERPT FROM THE REPORT ON THE VISIT TO ALBANIA CARRIED OUT IN 2003, PARAGRAPHS 40 TO 42 (SUBPARAGRAPH 1) .................63 APPENDIX II: LIST OF THE CPT'S RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION .....................................................................................65 APPENDIX III: LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES, OTHER BODIES AND ORGANISATIONS WITH WHICH THE CPT'S DELEGATION HELD CONSULTATIONS ................................................................................................................80 - 5 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report Strasbourg, 21 December 2005 Dear Ambassador, 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 Albanian Government drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) following its visit to Albania from 23 May to 3 June 2005. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 58th meeting, held from 7 to 11 November 2005. The various recommendations, comments and requests for information formulated by the CPT are listed in Appendix II. As regards more particularly the CPT’s recommendations, having regard to Article 10 of the Convention, the Committee requests the Albanian 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 Albanian authorities to provide, in the above-mentioned response, reactions to the comments formulated in this report which are summarised in Appendix II as well as replies to the requests for information made. In respect of the issues raised in paragraphs 68, 70, 98, 131 and 156 of the report, the CPT requests the Albanian authorities to provide a response within three months. The CPT would ask, in the event of the response being forwarded in Albanian, that it be accompanied by an English or French translation. It would also be most helpful if the Albanian authorities could provide a copy of the report in a computer-readable form. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT’s report or the future procedure. Yours faithfully, Silvia CASALE President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Mr Shpëtim ÇAUSHI Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Albania to the Council of Europe 67, allée de la Robertsau 67000 STRASBOURG - 6 - I. INTRODUCTION