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 NEWS

Back Prison governors and prosecutors discussed on the functioning of the External Oversight Mechanism in North Macedonia

@ Council of Europe

@ Council of Europe

Representatives of prison management, including 11 prison governors from across the country, met with representatives of the External Oversight Mechanism (EOM) - prosecutors and Ombudsman office staff, in Skopje on 17 March 2022. Their discussion was focused on their respective roles in preventing and reporting, and investigating cases of ill-treatment in prisons. The event was opened by the Director of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions of the Republic of North Macedonia.

It was underlined that prison governors have crucial responsibility in reporting allegations of ill-treatment to the prosecutors, since it is important all such allegation to be duly investigated by the competent authorities. Still, relevant data over the last three years shows that reporting ill-treatment cases in prisons is not frequent practice, meaning that certain steps should be taken to address the issue.

the presentation of the activities of the EOM public prosecutors and the representatives of the EOM Unit at the Ombudsman’s Office, prison governors agreed to promptly share information on any potential case of torture or ill-treatment with the EOM staff and to ensure that signs of ill-treatment are properly recorded. Moreover, an awareness raising camping was launched within the project, with aim to inform inmates and detained persons on the EOM role and mandate.

Established in 2018 with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, EOM investigates cases where persons with police authority, being on or off duty, use force, coercion or serious threat, leading to death, serious bodily injury, bodily injury, unlawful arrest, torture and another cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

This activity was organised under the action on “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 the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022".

Skopje, North Macedonia 17 March 2022
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page

www.coe.int/cpdl

SaveSaveSave

Key documentation

 European Prison Rules

 Legal instruments

SaveSaveSaveSave Publications

 Useful links

Highlights

 CPDL Highlights

2015  /  2016  /  2017  2018 / 2019