Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee makes public statement on detention conditions in Bulgaria

 

The Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee (CPT – European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) today made apublic statement concerning Bulgaria.

The statement points out at the major shortcomings the CPT identified over the past twenty years in police establishments and prisons in Bulgaria. These were repeatedly brought to the attention of Bulgarian authorities, together with recommendations for remedy. But for their vast majority these recommendations remain unimplemented so far.

The European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment requires that states party take decisive action to improve the situation in detention facilities in the light of recommendations made by the CPT.

Following its 2012 and 2014 visits to Bulgaria, the CPT had expressed its extreme concern over the lack of progress. Now, after another visit to Bulgaria from 13 to 20 February 2015, the Committee felt obliged to have recourse to article 10, para 2 of the Convention which provides that “If the Party fails to co-operate or refuses to improve the situation in the light of the Committee’s recommendations, the Committee may decide (…) to make a public statement on the matter.” 

Since the entry into force of the Convention in February 1989, the CPT had recourse to this extraordinary procedure only six times before today.