Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee Ends Georgia Visit

From September 10-21, the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee conducted a regular visit to Georgia. The delegation from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) assessed the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations made by the CPT following their previous visit in 2014.

In this context, the delegation paid particular attention to the treatment of people in police custody and the situation of prisoners in penitentiary establishments, in particular those in high-risk and semi-open prisons, as well as juvenile inmates. In addition, the delegation carried out visits to several psychiatric hospitals and, for the first time in Georgia, to an immigration detention facility.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Tea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice, Giorgi Gakharia, Minister of Internal Affairs, David Sergeenko, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, and several other senior government officials. The delegation also held meetings with Nino Lomjaria, the Public Defender, and staff of the National Preventive Mechanism Department of her Office, and with representatives of international and non-governmental organizations that work in relevant subject areas.

Such periodic visits generally take place once every four years. Information on previous country visits to Georgia are available here. The findings of the visit are then shared with the Government and made public, along with the comments of the Government.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Council of Europe