CPT/Inf (2010) 3 Report to the Government of Montenegro on the visit to Montenegro carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 15 to 22 September 2008 The Government of Montenegro has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government's response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2010) 4. Strasbourg, 9 March 2010 - 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...................................6 D. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention .........................8 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................10 A. Police establishments ..............................................................................................................10 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................10 2. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment..........................................................................11 3. Investigations into cases involving allegations of ill-treatment ......................................17 4. Safeguards against the ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty........................21 5. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................24 B. Prison establishments .............................................................................................................27 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................27 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................29 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................31 a. Institution for sentenced prisoners, Podgorica .......................................................31 b. Remand Prison, Podgorica .....................................................................................33 c. Bijelo Polje Prison..................................................................................................34 4. Health-care services.........................................................................................................35 5. Other issues of relevance to the CPTs mandate ..............................................................38 a. prison staff..............................................................................................................38 b. contact with the outside world ...............................................................................38 c. discipline and segregation ......................................................................................40 d. complaints and inspection procedures ...................................................................42 - 3 - C. Dobrota Special Psychiatric Hospital....................................................................................43 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................43 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................44 3. Forensic psychiatric unit (FPU).......................................................................................45 4. Patients’ living conditions ...............................................................................................46 5. Treatment and activities...................................................................................................47 6. Staff issues.......................................................................................................................47 7. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................48 8. Safeguards .......................................................................................................................49 D. Komanski Most Institution for People with Special Needs .................................................52 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................52 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................53 3. Residents’ living conditions ............................................................................................54 4. Care of residents ..............................................................................................................56 5. Staff issues.......................................................................................................................57 6. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................58 7. Safeguards .......................................................................................................................60 E. Centre for children and juveniles “Ljubović”, Podgorica ..................................................62 APPENDIX I : LIST OF THE CPT’S RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ..................................................65 APPENDIX II : LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES AND INTERNATIONAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATONS WITH WHICH THE CPT’S DELEGATION HELD CONSULTATIONS......................84 - 4 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report Mr Zoran Jankovic Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the Council of Europe 18, allée Spach 67000 Strasbourg Strasbourg, 2 April 2009 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 Montenegrin Government drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) after its visit to Montenegro from 15 to 22 September 2008. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 68th meeting, held from 2 to 6 March 2009. The various 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 Montenegrin 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 Montenegrin 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 the Montenegrin language, that it be accompanied by an English or French translation. It would be most helpful if the Montenegrin authorities could provide a copy of the response in a computer-readable form. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT's visit report or the future procedure. Yours faithfully Mauro Palma 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 Montenegro from 15 to 22 September 2008. The visit formed part of the Committee’s programme of periodic visits for 2008 and was the CPT’s first periodic visit to Montenegro as an independent State. The Committee had already visited Montenegro in 2004 as part of its visit to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro1. 2. The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: - Renate KICKER, First Vice President of the CPT (Head of delegation) - Celso DAS NEVES MANATA - Petros MICHAELIDES - Vladimir ORTAKOV - Zoreslava SHKIRYAK-NYZHNYK who were supported by the following members of the CPT’s Secretariat: - Petya NESTOROVA (Head of Division) - Isabelle SERVOZ-GALLUCCI. They were assisted by: - Clive MEUX, consultant forensic psychiatrist, Oxford, United Kingdom (expert) - Eric SVANIDZE, former Head of the International Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia (expert) - Vesna BULATOVIC (interpreter) - Milica KADIC-AKOVIC (interpreter) - Tamara JURLINA (interpreter) 1 The CPT’s report on this visit was made public at the request of the Government of Serbia and Montenegro (see CPT/Inf (2006) 18), together with its response (see CPT/Inf (2006) 19). - 6 - - Igor LAKIC (interpreter) - Jelena PRALAS (interpreter).