GENEVA - Serbia must take further action to protect people deprived of their liberty from torture and ill-treatment and ensure its national preventive mechanism (NPM) plays an effective and crucial role, experts from the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) said after their first visit to the country.
During the mission to Serbia from 15 to 21 June, the SPT delegation conducted unannounced visits to prisons, remand centres, police cells, as well as care homes for the elderly and children.
"While we acknowledge that steps are being taken to improve the rights of people deprived of their liberty, shortcomings must be addressed, specifically in the areas of criminal justice and social care," said Massimiliano Bagaglini, head of the SPT delegation. "The national preventive body has an important role to play in this process; therefore, it is vital that the mechanism is independent, well-resourced and effective."
The SPT delegation conducted private and confidential interviews with those detained or deprived of their liberty and officials working in various facilities. The delegation also met with Government officials, the Protector of Citizens (Ombudsperson) and its NPM unit, civil society representatives and UN agencies. The SPT delegation also carried out joint visits with the Serbian NPM to support their work.
"We observed that many individuals, including children, spend extended periods in pretrial detention under restrictive conditions, which may increase the risk of ill-treatment," Bagaglini added. "Institutions for people with disabilities were also a concern for the delegation, and more measures are needed to protect these people from ill-treatment."
The Subcommittee will submit a confidential report to the Government of Serbia with its observations and recommendations on preventing torture and ill-treatment of people deprived of their liberty. As with all other States, it encourages Serbia to make this report public following the visit.
The SPT delegation was composed of the following members of the Subcommittee: Massimiliano Bagaglini, Head of Delegation (Italy), Vasiliki Artinopoulou (Greece), Kalliopi Kambanella (Cyprus), Nika Kvaratskhelia (Georgia), as well as two Human Rights Officers from the SPT Secretariat.
