News Flash
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Strasbourg, 19.05.2009 - A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee
for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
(CPT) recently carried out a five-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
visit, which began on 11 May 2009, was the CPT’s fourth visit to Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
The visit provided an opportunity to assess the progress made since the periodic
visit in March/April 2007. The CPT’s delegation examined in detail various
issues related to Sarajevo and Zenica Prisons, including the regime and
treatment of remand prisoners, and of those prisoners placed in administrative
and disciplinary isolation and in the high-security unit. The delegation also
focused its attention on the situation of forensic psychiatric patients held in
Zenica Prison and at Sokolac Psychiatric Hospital, and reviewed progress towards
the establishment of a new forensic psychiatric unit for the whole country. A
brief visit was paid to the recently opened juvenile unit in East Sarajevo
Prison.
In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation held consultations, at State
level, with Safet HALILOVIĆ, Minister of Human Rights and Refugees, and Srđjan
ARNAUT, Deputy Minister of Justice, as well as with senior officials from these
ministries. At Entity level, the delegation met Nedžad BRANKOVIĆ, Prime
Minister, Safet OMEROVIĆ, Minister of Health, and Feliks VIDOVIĆ, Minister of
Justice, from the Federation Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as
senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republika
Srpska. Discussions were also held with the State Ombudsmen, Jasminka DŽUMHUR
and Ljubomir SANDIĆ, and the High Representative and European Union Special
Representative, Valentin INZKO.
At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary observations
to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Renate KICKER (Austrian), 1st
Vice-President of the CPT and Head of delegation
- Wolfgang HEINZ (German)
- Olivera VULIĆ (Montenegrin).
They were supported by Hugh CHETWYND (Head of Division) of the CPT's
Secretariat, and assisted by Clive MEUX, consultant forensic psychiatrist,
Oxford (United Kingdom).
- A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details
please access our page "For the press".
