Deputy Ministers of Justice and Health and Social Protection, high level prison management and representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ombudsman, alongside with representatives of the civil society, the Council of Europe Co-operation in police and deprivation of liberty Division (CPDL), the European Committee against torture (CPT), the EUD and other donors, met on 30 January 2024 in Tirana, to discuss the upcoming steps in addressing the key challenges of the country’s penitentiary system, as well as the long-standing issue of forensic patients in Albania.

In January 2024, the CPT published the report on its periodic visit to Albania, conducted in 2023. Highlighting the longstanding structural deficiencies regarding forensic patients and prisoners with mental disorders, as well as overcrowding in most of the prisons in Albania, the report took note of certain positive measures, such as sustainability of the Training center. The first vice-president of CPT noted that it’s positive that hardly any allegations of ill-treatment by staff were received, that is a positive step compared to the previous visits.

The CPT recommendations are seen by all stakeholders as a matter of priority and there is a wide consensus on the planned interventions, both at central and prison level. The roundtable was an opportunity to have an open discussion, looking into comparative experiences on dealing with forensic patients, as well as into the specific actions that shall be taken in relation to the execution of Strazimiri case.

The Round table was conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme ”Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye – Phase III”, and in particular Action on “Enhancing the protection of Human Rights of prisoners in Albania”.