HF II Montenegro - Further enhancing Human Rights protection for detained and sentenced persons

As part of the second phase of the European Union and Council of Europe programmatic framework “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” (Horizontal Facility II), the Council of Europe implemented the Action “Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro”. The Action was implemented in close partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the Institute for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Police Administration, and Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The objectives of the Action consisted of the securisation of human rights compliance of the police through strengthening the safeguards against ill-treatment, the Improvement of the fight against violent extremism in prison and police, but also the enhancing of independent monitoring and framework for the investigation of ill-treatment and the improvement of reintegration and rehabilitation of prisoners in the society after released.

This Action assisted Montenegrin authorities in their efforts to comply with standards set in the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and to implement recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture – CPT.

The Action started on 24 May 2019 and was completed on 31 December 2022 with an overall budget of 750.000 €.

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Back Expert assessment of reintegration programmes in Montenegro

@ Council of Europe

A video conference, between the Council of Europe consultant and representatives of the Treatment Department of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (AECS) of Montenegro took place on 28 September 2020. The video conference replaced an in-country expert mission due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The activity supports the prison system in its effort to improve the reintegration for of prisoners by developing one unified Manual that will serve as an official treatment programme, once adopted by the AECS.

As a result of the meeting, a methodology of work between the AECS representatives was agreed for in the coming period. The Manual will be partly based on the reintegration programmes developed within the prison system of the Republic of Serbia under the auspices of the Horizontal Facility II (HF) action in that country, highlighting the multiplier effect of resources and interaction between various HF actions.

The action “Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme „Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022“, implemented by the Council of Europe.

Montenegro 9 October 2020