The main objective of the visit was to review progress as regards the implementation of previous CPT recommendations concerning conditions of detention in investigation detention facilities (IDFs) and prisons. The CPT also visited for the first time the Special Home for temporary placement of foreign nationals in Busmantsi.

At the Home in Busmantsi, the CPT’s delegation received several allegations of physical ill-treatment of detained foreign nationals by police staff. The ill-treatment alleged (consisting of slaps and kicks) was said to have taken place in the establishment’s solitary confinement unit. In this context, it appeared that staff had a wide margin of discretion to impose placement in a solitary confinement cell. The CPT has recommended that staff working at the Home in Busmantsi be given the clear message that the ill-treatment of detained persons is not acceptable and will be the subject of sanctions. Material conditions at the Busmantsi Home were an improvement on those observed by the CPT in the past at the facility in Drouzhba (Sofia) previously used for the temporary accommodation of foreign nationals; further, the open-door policy during the day was a positive feature of the regime. That said, the CPT has made several recommendations aimed at improving conditions of detention in the Home.

Detainees in the two investigation detention facilities visited made no complaints about their treatment by custodial staff. As regards conditions of detention in IDF’s, the CPT has witnessed certain progress over the years; nevertheless, the pace of improvement has been slow. The conditions observed during the 2008 visit at the IDFs in Pernik and Slivnitsa were indicative of failure to implement the Committee’s long-standing recommendations. The CPT has called upon the Bulgarian authorities to intensify their efforts to bring investigation detention facilities up to the required standards.

During the follow-up visit to Sofia Prison, the CPT’s delegation heard no allegations of physical ill-treatment of prisoners by staff. That said, low staffing levels remained an issue of serious concern. The CPT has called upon the Bulgarian authorities to improve prison staffing levels as a priority and to develop a recruitment strategy based on proper funding and enhanced conditions of service. The report also contains recommendations concerning the treatment of life-sentenced prisoners and foreign national prisoners held at Sofia Prison.

In their response, the authorities make reference to various measures being taken to improve the situation in the light of the recommendations made by the CPT.

The CPT’s visit report and the response of the Bulgarian Government are available in English on the CPT’s website: http://www.cpt.coe.int