CPT/Inf (2016) 21 Report to the Government of Serbia on the visit to Serbia carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 26 May to 5 June 2015 The Government has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2016) 22. Strasbourg, 24 June 2016 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report............................................................................5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................6 I. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................10 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ............................................................10 B. Consultations held by the delegation and cooperation encountered..................................12 C. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5 of the Convention ........................13 D. National Preventive Mechanism ............................................................................................13 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................15 A. Law enforcement establishments...........................................................................................15 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................15 2. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment..........................................................................16 3. Safeguards against the ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty........................22 4. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................25 5. Belgrade International Airport “Nikola Tesla”................................................................28 B. Prison establishments .............................................................................................................30 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................30 a. legislative changes .................................................................................................30 b. prison overcrowding...............................................................................................31 c. prisons visited.........................................................................................................32 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................33 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................37 a. material conditions of detention.............................................................................37 i. follow-up visit to Belgrade District Prison...................................................37 ii. Sremska Mitrovica Correctional Institution.................................................37 iii. Niš Correctional Institution..........................................................................38 iv. Pančevo District Prison................................................................................39 b. activities .................................................................................................................41 c. classification of prisoners.......................................................................................42 - 3 - 4. Health-care services.........................................................................................................44 5. The Special Prison Hospital in Belgrade.........................................................................49 a. preliminary remarks ...............................................................................................49 b. ill-treatment ............................................................................................................49 c. living conditions.....................................................................................................50 d. treatment and activities ..........................................................................................52 e. safeguards in the context of involuntary placement and treatment........................53 f. staffing....................................................................................................................54 g. restraints and seclusion ..........................................................................................55 6. Other issues......................................................................................................................57 a. prison staff..............................................................................................................57 b. contact with the outside world ...............................................................................58 c. discipline ................................................................................................................59 d. special and coercive measures ...............................................................................62 e. complaints and inspection procedures ...................................................................64 C. Valjevo Juvenile Correctional Institution.............................................................................66 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................66 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................66 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................69 a. material conditions of detention.............................................................................69 b. activities and regime ..............................................................................................70 4. Juveniles ..........................................................................................................................71 5. Health-care services.........................................................................................................72 6. Other issues of relevance for the CPT's mandate ............................................................74 a. prison staff..............................................................................................................74 b. discipline ................................................................................................................75 c. Increased Supervision Unit ....................................................................................75 - 4 - D. Special hospital for psychiatric diseases “Dr. Slavoljub Bakalović”..................................77 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................77 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................77 3. Living conditions and treatment ......................................................................................78 a. living conditions.....................................................................................................78 b. treatment and activities ..........................................................................................79 c. suicide prevention ..................................................................................................80 d. deaths......................................................................................................................81 4. Staff .................................................................................................................................82 5. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................83 6. Safeguards .......................................................................................................................86 7. Other issues of relevance to the CPT's mandate..............................................................87 E. Veternik Residential Facility..................................................................................................89 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................89 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................90 3. Means of restraint and seclusion .....................................................................................91 4. Living conditions.............................................................................................................96 5. Activities..........................................................................................................................97 6. Staff .................................................................................................................................98 7. Safeguards in the context of involuntary placement