The first round table with training elements on how to apply human rights standards in dealings with persons deprived of liberty immediately upon their admission to custody took place on 14-15 September in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey “Enhancing human rights for detained and sentenced persons”.

Senior officials and officers in charge of peer training representing all 10 police agencies, as well as heads of prisons’ pre-trial detention started a 6-session long cycle of Train the Trainers course, aimed at building their peer-training capacities and disseminating internationally recognised human rights standards across the law enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Over the ensuing 10 months, the local Prison Staff Training Team will, under the guidance of international consultants, exchange best practices and lessons learned from the CPT reports (European Committee for the prevention of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment) with colleagues from the police agencies. Particular emphasis is placed on the three key human rights identified as at risk upon deprivation of liberty: access to medical assistance, lawyer and the right to inform a close relative or a third persons of choice. This Train the Trainers cycle will result with a team of trainers accredited to deliver this programme, based on the earlier published Guidelines for dealing with persons deprived of liberty in closed environment, across the law enforcement agencies in BiH.