The suggestions of the Commissioner for Administration and Safety of Human Rights, Maria Stylianou Lottidis
The Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights Safety, Maria Stylianou Lottidi, made suggestions concerning the circumstances of detention within the detention facilities of the Nicosia Police Station and feedback for the advance of circumstances, following the go to of an official of her Workplace on April 11, throughout the framework of her authority to hold out freely and at common intervals periodic visits to locations the place individuals are disadvantaged or more likely to be disadvantaged of their liberty.
The go to refers to a report, aimed toward checking the diploma of compliance with the suggestions submitted within the earlier Report of the Nationwide Prevention Mechanism (NTM), with the intention of bettering detention circumstances and guaranteeing the rights of prisoners.
It’s clarified that no interviews have been performed with prisoners, concerning the circumstances of their detention, in addition to the three individuals who have been in custody on the time of the go to, didn’t want to converse to the Officer. It’s famous that through the go to a constructive spirit of cooperation was noticed each by the supervisor of the station and by the workers members working that day.
The report states that through the inspection of the detention amenities/cells, it was discovered that they’re of a ample measurement to make sure respectable detention circumstances and have home windows that permit for pure lighting and air flow.
It’s reported that the sanitary space was not in a passable situation because of the outdated constructing amenities and, due to this fact, wants renovation and/or reconstruction/alternative.
It was additionally noticed that the realm inside one of many 4 holding cells (the detainee who had been launched) had not been cleaned, there have been used sheets that had not but been modified, and there was trash contained in the cell (meals packing containers, tissues). In line with the station supervisor, inmates contained in the detention facilities clear their very own detention areas, and disinfection companies are supplied as soon as a month.
The commissioner within the report states that the duty for the upkeep and cleanliness of the sanitary amenities throughout the detention facilities lies with the detention authority and never with the prisoners and recommends that the competent authority discover other ways to scrub the areas throughout the detention facilities and similar to guarantee correct disinfection of cells throughout prisoner modifications.
Amongst different issues, it states that the detention facilities should not have any out of doors area and, due to this fact, the prisoners will not be given the suitable for not less than one hour of out of doors train/yard each day. He provides that the dearth of appropriate out of doors train area makes the police detention space unsuitable for detaining folks for greater than 24 hours.
“In follow, the period of the detention within the space in query typically exceeds 24 hours, whereas in a number of instances, the detention of individuals lasted for an extended time period, from 4 days as much as 8 days”, he states particularly.
The Commissioner reminds that in accordance with the worldwide ideas for the remedy of prisoners, individuals who’re detained on the idea of a choice of an administrative physique solely for the needs of deportation must be held in a separate space, which doesn’t permit any contact with individuals detained for the aim of investigating legal offences.
As well as, from the inspection of information on the day of the go to, it was discovered that they’re saved with due care and there have been registered and signed paperwork certifying that the detainee obtained the varieties informing him of his rights in the beginning of his detention. Nevertheless, he emphasizes that within the detention amenities, the types of the Prisoners' Rights and the Guidelines of the Detention Heart weren’t posted in every cell.
It’s reported that through the go to, it was discovered that the place is manned all through the day and night time by six Policemen. Nevertheless, the detention middle just isn’t overseen by any particular particular person and there’s no detention officer who handles all prisoner-related issues.
In her feedback, the Commissioner states that the shortcomings associated to the absence of an outside coaching space and the co-housing of administrative and legal prisoners make this space unsuitable for detaining folks for a time period past 24/48 hours and recommends ending the detention of individuals for a time period past of 24 hours throughout the Reservations.
In any other case, he recommends the creation of an outside train space/courtyard in accordance with worldwide requirements.
The suggestions embody ending the follow of detaining administrative prisoners along with legal prisoners, diligently filling out the Prisoner Interview Type, posting a listing of rights and guidelines, quick renovation and/or reconstruction and/or alternative of the sanitary amenities, ending the follow of cleansing the sanitizing areas of detention facilities by prisoners and guaranteeing well timed and applicable disinfection of cells throughout prisoner modifications.
Additionally, the administration of medicine to prisoners ought to solely be completed by certified medical and nursing workers and never by members of the Police and examination of the doable staffing of the realm by a police officer who could have the only real duty of supervising the detention space and can be in control of the problems of the prisoners .
The Report is submitted to the Minister of Justice & Public Order, because the competent authority, and can also be communicated to the Chief of Police for his info and any actions he could take.
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