Council of Europe anti-torture Committee carries out a Visit to BiH

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out a periodic visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2 to 13 September 2024. This was the CPT’s tenth visit to the country.
17 SEPTEMBER 2024
The main objective of the periodic visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, notably as regards persons apprehended and detained by various police agencies at the State, Entity and Cantonal levels. The visit was also an opportunity to evaluate the measures taken by the authorities to implement the Committee’s recommendations from previous reports, in particular that of 2021.

Moreover, the CPT delegation focused on the treatment and conditions of detention of sentenced and remand prisoners held in several prison establishments under the jurisdiction of the State and Entity Ministries of Justice. The treatment of residents in three social care homes in both Entities was also examined as was the situation of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty under migration legislation.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with senior officials from the relevant Ministries of Security and Interior at the State, Entity and Cantonal levels, the Ministries of Justice at State and Entity levels as well as the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the Federation of BiH. In addition, meetings were held with the President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, and the Presiding Ombudsperson notably on the establishment of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), as well as senior advisors to the Presidency of BiH. The delegation also met with representatives from the Delegation of the European Union and Office of the UNHCR as well as various non-governmental organizations active in the field of the CPT’s mandate.

At the end of the visit, the CPT delegation presented its preliminary observations to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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