HF III Montenegro - Enhancing Human Rights protection for detained and sentenced persons

The Action “Enhancing the human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” in its third phase will build upon results of the two preceding Actions of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” in Montenegro through a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe initially launched in 2016. Council of Europe will support Montenegrin authorities to improve the protection of human rights of all persons deprived of liberty in the areas of police, prisons, mental health care institutions, and monitoring mechanisms.
The Action will work in partnership with the Ministry of Interior/Police Administration, Administration for execution of criminal sanctions, Ministry of Justice, Ombudsman/National Preventive Mechanism, State Prosecutor’s Office, and Ministry of Health as well as other national stakeholders, including prominent civil society organisations active on the protection and promotion of human rights of detained persons.
The Action’s main areas of intervention will strive to enhance the rights of persons deprived of liberty and achieve the following outcomes:

Treatment of persons detained in police custody is improved in line with the Council of Europe standards against ill-treatment and impunity;
Authorities in Montenegro strengthen their capacity to better protect prisoners’ human rights;
Detained persons in prisons receive improved health care services;
Better monitoring of detention facilities through enhanced capacity of the NPM Office.

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 project is set at 48 months, and will be completed by 31 December 2026, with an overall budget of 800,000 Euros.

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Back New operating procedures for police middle management introduced in Montenegro

Vladislav SPIRLICENCO

The joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced person s in Montenegro” organized two training sessions for police middle management staff of the Regional Centre “North” on 26-27 September in Bijelo Polje, gathering representatives of general police and crime police units from towns of Andrijevica, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Gusinje, Kolasin, Mojkovac and Petnjica. The training was aimed at familiarising the participants with the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The objective of these SOPs designed with the technical assistance of Council of Europe specialists is to help police officers to better uphold human rights in their daily duties. They are intended to bring the Police Administration's regulatory and operational frameworks in line with the current international standards and best practices. Adhering to these standards allows the Police to maintain a high degree of professionalism and respect for human rights.

The overall purpose of the training was to ensure that police officers act consistently when executing their powers and duties, thus reducing the risk of exceeding their authority or committing wrongdoing. This not only promotes law enforcement accountability, but also strengthens public trust in the police force.

The action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced person s in Montenegro” is part of the broader joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, implemented by the Council of Europe. This initiative plays a crucial role in supporting Montenegro's efforts to meet European human rights standards, contributing to the country's ongoing reforms in the justice and law enforcement sectors.

Montenegro 2 October 2024