[prisoner-rights] Council of Europe's Anti-Torture Committee publishes report on Slovenia

Strasbourg, 18.12.2002 - A report, issued today by the Council of Europe's
Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), assesses the treatment of
people held in police stations, prisons, psychiatric establishments and
centres for illegal aliens in Slovenia.

The report is published at the Slovenian authorities' request, together with
their response. It covers the CPT's second visit to Slovenia, which took
place in September 2001.

Persons deprived of their liberty by the police in Slovenia are generally
treated correctly. Nevertheless, the CPT has emphasised the need to exercise
continuing vigilance in this area. In their response, the Slovenian
authorities indicate that police training has been further improved and that
police complaints procedures will be made more effective in the future.
Further positive developments include the continuing refurbishment of all
police stations and the planned closing down of the centre for aliens in
Ljubljana and the opening of a new facility in Postojna.

Since the CPT's first visit to Slovenia in 1995, the country's prison
population has grown by more than 80% and has resulted in overcrowding in
certain establishments. The Committee has proposed measures to curb this
trend. In this connection, the Slovenian authorities have taken steps to
make increased use of probation and early release. The CPT has also made
recommendations to improve remand prisoners' contacts with their families;
the Slovenian authorities have subsequently introduced measures to this
effect.

As regards social welfare establishments and psychiatric hospitals, the
Committee has stressed that net-beds are not an appropriate means of dealing
with agitated residents or patients. In their response, the Slovenian
authorities emphasise that discontinuation of the use of net-beds is in
progress throughout the country. The authorities also refer to measures
aimed at improving living conditions at the two psychiatric establishments
visited by the CPT, such as replacing large dormitories by smaller rooms.


The report is available on the following website : http://cpt.coe.int/


Press Release
Council of Europe Spokesperson and Press Division
Ref: 648a02