CPT Report on Montenegro

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published a report on periodic visit to Montenegro focusing on police, prisons, psychiatry and social welfare establishments from which took place 9 to 16 October 2017.

The CPT received a significant number of allegations of physical ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by police officers. The alleged ill-treatment consisted of punches, slaps, kicks, baton blows, strikes with non-standard objects and the infliction of electro-shocks from hand-held electrical discharge devices either at the time of apprehension or in the course of police interviews. The CPT concludes that persons deprived of their liberty in Montenegro still run an appreciable risk of being ill-treated by the police and that the police senior management must tackle this phenomenon through stricter competitive recruitment criteria, better training activities and improved oversight. An analysis of the effectiveness of investigations into allegations of ill-treatment carried out by the CPT shows that there is a need for the Internal Control Department of the Ministry of Interior to be more independent. Further, prosecutors need to conduct more thorough investigations into cases of alleged ill-treatment by police officers.

As regards prisons, the efforts invested in the reform of the penitentiary system since 2013 are positively noted in the report. Nevertheless, the report refers to a significant number of allegations of physical ill-treatment. The Montenegrin authorities must put an end to the current practice of fixating prisoners.

When it comes to Psychiatric Hospital, the CPT found that psychiatric patients were treated respectfully by staff. However, the report is critical of the chronic overcrowding which led to several patients having to sleep on mattresses on the floor. The report is also critical of the prolonged prescription of benzodiazepines to psychiatric patients.

Here you can read the report https://rm.coe.int/1680925987

References from the official website of the Council of Europe