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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Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Montenegrin prison system receives protective equipment to address COVID-19 crisis

Responding to the emergency of COVID-19 crisis and to the need of providing support to inmates and prison staff, Council of Europe donated the first lot of personal protective equipment to the Institution for the execution of criminal sanctions in Montenegro.

In total, 2.000 masks were handed over to prison administration, while a second delivery of sanitizers and sanitizing equipment is expected next week.

The donation builds on the efforts of the prison administration to follow the recommendations of CPT statement of principles issued on 20 March 2020 for the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in accordance to the World Health Organization guidelines. It will assist authorities address COVID-19 crisis while at the same time improve the protection of human rights, as well as the living conditions of prisoners.

The initiative is part of the Action “Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro”, an extensive cooperation with Montenegrin prison authorities since 2016 through the joint Horizontal Facility programme financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Montenegro 27 April 2020