HF III Bosnia and Herzegovina - Further strengthening the treatment of detained and sentenced persons in line with European standards

The Action “Further strengthening the treatment of detained and sentenced persons in line with European standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)” in its third phase will build upon results of the two preceding Actions of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” in BiH through a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe initially launched in 2016.

The Action is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministries of Interior, Ministries of Justice, Ministry of Health and the Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Focusing on the capacity-building of prison and law-enforcement officers, as well as forensic medical and support staff, the action will further promote human rights approach to the multidisciplinary management of persons deprived of liberty and sentenced to the custodial environment. The Action will also support the establishment of a preventive monitoring mechanism in the places of deprivation of liberty in BiH and provide continued support to the BiH authorities in introducing system of electronic exchange of prison-related data.

Furthermore, the Action will aim to ensure comprehensive treatment of persons deprived of liberty in the criminal justice system, regardless of the nature or length of their detention. The Action will aim to embed the positive direction of further aligning the prison and police practices with European standards to combat ill-treatment in the custodial environment.

In doing so, the activities are designed to deal with the specific issues comprised in the Action's four components:

Component I: further improving the human rights record in policing across the law enforcement sector in BiH with the safety and security balance in check;
Component II: further enhancing the process of resocialisation of forensic patients and supporting their safe return to their families and communities;
Component III: further embedding the electronic exchange of prison-related data in practice; and
Component IV: building capacities of the National Prevention Mechanism function holders to monitor treatment of persons deprived of liberty.

The Action addresses the findings and the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), as well as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the application of Conventions of 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).

The duration of the action is set at 48 months, and it is expected to be completed by 31 December 2026, with an overall budget of 1,450,000 Euros.

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Back First group of prison staff successfully completed specialised training on violent extremism and radicalisation

Nino LAPACHI

Modified 2 Years ago.

@ Council of Europe

Sixteen prison staff from Bosnia and Herzegovina, coming from multidisciplinary teams working directly with violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) or inmates at risk of becoming radicalised, have completed all six modules of the new specialised in-house training programme for prison staff, facilitated by local trainers who are peers of their trainees and who have been identified and coached by the Council of Europe.

The participants coming from four penitentiaries (State, Doboj, Tuzla and Orašje prisons) improved their understanding of violent extremism and radicalisation, the relevant international standards and applicable legal framework, and enhanced their knowledge of the case management system. They also upgraded their communication skills with regard to VEPs and improved awareness of collaboration among prison departments and inter-agency cooperation.

This training programme is a part of the unified training curriculum for all prison staff in the country, created with the help of the Council of Europe for regular trainings organised by prisons and ministries of justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The State prison will continue providing premises for different training sessions and capacity-building measures on addressing radicalisation and management of VEPs organised by the Council. This collaboration with the State prison and key institutional partners will allow the Council to build a Centre for Excellence as a development hub for domestic and regional professionals and practitioners working with and helping to re-socialise VEPs.

This activity was organized within the framework of the project "Ensuring Sustainable Penitentiary Actions in managing rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ESPA-VEP)", funded under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.