The United Nations has dispatched members of its Prevention of Torture committee to make their first ever inspection of Portugal’s prisons and check if inmates have any protection against torture and ill-treatment.
The inspectors are due to visit prisons, police stations, correctional facilities for women and juveniles, and some of Portugal’s psychiatric institutions.
The experts will meet government officials and Portugal’s own national monitoring body, the ‘national preventive mechanism’ or NPM of Portugal, as well as charity workers.
“During our visit we will address the current situation of people deprived of their liberty in Portugal,” said Nora Sveaass, heading the delegation which will be working from May 1st to 10th.
“We will discuss with the authorities steps Portugal needs to take to effectively prevent torture and ill-treatment of people in detention, which is an integral part of the country’s full implementation of its treaty obligations.”
The committee members have a mandate to visit all European Member states that are party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.
At the end of the visit, the government will receive a confidential preliminary report.
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Background:
To date, the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture has been ratified by 87 states.
States are under the obligation to allow the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) unannounced and unhindered visits to all places where persons are deprived of their liberty.
States Parties should also establish a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), which should conduct regular visits to places throughout the country where people are deprived of liberty.
The mandate of the SPT is to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of persons deprived of their liberty, through visits and recommendations to States parties to the Optional Protocol.
The SPT communicates its recommendations and observations to States by means of a confidential report and, where necessary, to national preventive mechanisms. However, States parties are encouraged to request that the SPT publish the reports.
