Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee visits Poland

19.10.2004 - A delegation of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out a visit to Poland from 4 to 15 October 2004. It was the Committee's third periodic visit to Poland, the previous visits having taken place in 1996 and in 2000.

The CPT's delegation reviewed measures taken by the Polish authorities in response to the Committee's recommendations made after the visit in 2000, in particular as regards the safeguards offered to persons detained by the police, the treatment of foreign nationals held under the aliens legislation and prison conditions.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

- Ingrid LYCKE ELLINGSEN, Head of delegation (Norwegian)
- Aleš BUTALA (Slovenian)
- Andres LEHTMETS(Estonian)
- Tatiana RADUCANU (Moldovan).

They were supported by Petya NESTOROVA, Head of Unit, and Borys WODZ, of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by three experts: Eric DURAND, former Head of the Medical Services at Fleury-Mérogis Prison, France, Zdenek HÁJEK, lawyer, Czech Republic, and James McMANUS, Professor of Criminal Justice, Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom.

In the course of the visit, the delegation met Andrzej GRZELAK, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice, Andrzej BRACHMANSKI, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, as well as senior officials of the Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs and Administration, and Health. Fruitful discussions were also held with Andrzej ZOLL, Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, and members of his office.

The delegation visited the following places:

Police establishments

- Municipal Police Command, Bialystok, ul. Bema 4
- Provincial Police Command, Cracow, ul. Mogilska 109
- 3rd District Police Command, Cracow, ul. Pedzichów 5
- Municipal Police Command, Elblag, ul. Tysiaclecia 3
- County Police Command, Gizycko, al. 1-go Maja 26
- Municipal Police Command, Olsztyn, ul. Partyzantów 23
- Municipal Police Command, Suwalki, ul. Pulaskiego 26
- Metropolitan Police Command, Warsaw, ul. Nowolipie 2
- District Police Command, Warsaw - Bielany, ul. Zeromskiego 7
- District Police Command, Warsaw - Praga Poludnie, ul. Grenadierów 73/75 and ul. Uminskiego 22
- District Police Command, Warsaw - Wola, ul. Zytnia 36
- Provincial Police Command, Wroclaw, ul. Muzealna 2/4
- District Police Command, Wroclaw - Sródmiescie, ul. Grunwaldzka 6

- Police establishment for children in Cracow
- Police establishment for children in Elblag

Border Guard establishments

- Detention facility at the Kuznica Bialostocka Border Crossing
- Detention facility of the Podlaski Border Guard Unit, Bialystok
- Border Guard post in Szudzialowo
- Detention facility of the Warminsko-Mazurski Border Guard Unit, Ketrzyn
- Detention facilities at Warsaw International Airport

Prison establishments

- Cracow Remand Prison and Prison Hospital
- Warsaw-Mokotów Remand Prison
- Wolów Prison.
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