The European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) has published a report on its ad hoc visit to Hungary, carried out from 25 March to 1 April 2025, together with the response of the Hungarian authorities.
Follow-up owing to ill-treatment of prisoners
During its May 2023 visit to Hungary, the CPT received numerous credible allegations of physical ill-treatment of prisoners by staff at Tiszalök National Prison. In 2025, the committee decided to carry out a follow-up visit to this establishment to re-examine the treatment and conditions of detention of prisoners, and to assess the progress achieved by the authorities in combating ill-treatment by staff. In addition, the committee used this opportunity to visit, for the first time, Szombathely National Prison.
The report highlights that a number of prisoners interviewed by the CPT in 2025 alleged that physical ill-treatment at Tiszalök Prison had continued even after the committee's 2023 visit. This is a matter of grave concern to the CPT. More positively, the situation subsequently improved considerably, which was attributed to the change of management of the establishment in November 2024.
The CPT fully understands that changing the culture in an establishment and ensuring that all staff - including frontline staff - fully comply with the new approach in their daily operations takes time. The Hungarian authorities should build on the recent promising developments at Tiszalök Prison and provide full support to the management of the establishment in their efforts to eradicate the ill-treatment of prisoners by staff.
Fewer complaints at Szombathely National Prison
As regards Szombathely Prison, the vast majority of prisoners with whom the delegation spoke during the 2025 visit made no complaints about staff. Nevertheless, the delegation did receive a few allegations of physical ill-treatment, such as pushing, slaps, kicks and a blow with a hard object. Further, it heard a number of allegations of disrespectful behaviour and verbal abuse, including of a racist and homophobic nature.
The CPT underlines that investigations into several cases of alleged ill-treatment at Tiszalök Prison, which dated back to 2020 or 2021, were still pending at the pre-trial stage of proceedings at the time of the 2025 visit. According to the committee, this raises concerns as to the effectiveness and expeditiousness of the investigations. The Hungarian authorities should ensure that investigations into allegations of ill-treatment of prisoners by staff are carried out effectively and, in particular, comply with the requirements of thoroughness, comprehensiveness, promptness and expeditiousness.
Use of padded cells
The findings at Tiszalök Prison indicate that there used to be a practice of placing violent, agitated or recalcitrant prisoners in padded cells for up to eight hours. Throughout that time, their hands were restrained behind their back with metal handcuffs attached to a belt, and they were also ankle-cuffed. Similar measures were also occasionally applied at Szombathely Prison.
The CPT considers such use of padded cells and hand- and ankle-cuffs to be totally unacceptable, and it formulates a series of principled measures on such placements which should be respected. In particular, placement in a padded cell should always be for the shortest possible time and the prisoners concerned should be offered regular and frequent human contact by supervising staff. Further, the committee considers that there can be no justification for additional means of restraint, such as hand- and ankle-cuffs, to be applied to a violent or agitated prisoner who is isolated in a padded cell.
In both establishments, material conditions were satisfactory in many respects and most premises seen by the delegation were in a good state of repair. Despite the efforts to provide prisoners with activities, such as work, education, vocational training, and various reintegration programmes, a large number of detained persons, in particular at Tiszalök Prison, were not provided with work or did not regularly participate in any organised activity, due to the lack of opportunities. The Hungarian authorities should continue their efforts to develop further the programme of activities offered to prisoners.
Read the full report
European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
Hungary and the Council of Europe
