[prisoner-rights] Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee gains access to NATO run detention facilities in Kosovo

Strasbourg, 19.07.2006 -- Council of Europe experts will soon be able to
visit all detention facilities in Kosovo to verify whether detention
conditions comply with the European Convention for the Prevention of
Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

An exchange of letter between Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on behalf of NATO, and
Terry Davis on behalf of the Council of Europe, has defined the modalities
of the inspections to NATO run detention facilities.

CPT visits to Kosovo will also include United Nations detention facilities
in Kosovo. An agreement with UNMIK had been reached in 2004, but had not
been implemented pending the outcome of negotiations with NATO.

“We have succeeded in resolving a long-standing anomaly in the human
rights enforcement system in Europe. This arrangement will help us to
ensure that there are no exceptions to the absolute prohibition of torture
and inhuman or degrading treatment throughout the 46 member states of the
Council of Europe. This is good news for human rights in Europe” said
Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Council of Europe Press Division
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11