HF II North Macedonia - Enhancing penitentiary system External Oversight Mechanism

As part of the co-operation framework co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, known as the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey, phase II (Horizontal Facility II), the Council of Europe implemented the Action “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the External Oversight Mechanism in North Macedonia”, in close cooperation and partnership with the Ministry of Justice (Directorate for Execution of Sanctions), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ombudsman’s Office. The Action also involved a wide group of other national stakeholders, including prominent civil society organisations active in the area of protection and promotion of human rights.

The main aim of the Action was to contribute to a safer and more humane society that respects and protects the rights of detained and sentenced persons in line with the Council of Europe standards in the area of penitentiary and law enforcement.

The key Conventions for this Action were the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), as well as the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The duration of the project was set at 36 months and it was completed by 31 December 2022, with an overall budget of 1,050,000 Euros.

Project documentation

Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Piloting of the Treatment module for radicalised inmates launched in North Macedonia

On 25 September 2020, the piloting of the Individual Treatment module for radicalised inmates was launched in prison Shtip, under the guidance of a Council of Europe consultant, and will last up to 6 months.

Throughout the past year, a working group consisted of experienced prison practitioners and representatives from the Directorate for Execution of Sanctions, was assisted by an international consultants in developing the programme for radicalised and violent extremist prisoners (VEPs), alongside with the revision of the VEP-specific screening and the in-depth Risk and Needs Assessment tools.

As a result, an extensive set of VEP tools and mechanisms was developed, which will help the dedicated prison professionals in identifying signs of radicalisation among the prison population, assessing the needs of the VEPs, working on their disengagement from violence and preparing them for release.

The activity is organised under the auspices of the Action “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the external oversight mechanism in North Macedonia”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe within the “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” and implemented by the Council of Europe.

North Macedonia 25 September 2020