The Ombudsperson’s Office of Montenegro just concluded a study visit to the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), a global centre of excellence and pioneer in anti-torture activism for the past 40 years. The visit was organised under the EU-CoE joint project ‘PREDIM’ – Support to the National Institutions in Preventing Discrimination in Montenegro, which aims to protect human rights by supporting Montenegrin institutions in combatting discrimination against vulnerable groups (LGBT, Roma, minorities and people with disabilities).

As Montenegro’s official National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture (OPCAT), the Ombudsperson’s Office conducts regular visits to places of deprivation of liberty – e.g. prisons, police stations, or psychiatric hospitals – where members of vulnerable groups are particularly at risk of ill treatment.

The study visit, which took place from 11 to 12 April 2017, enabled a delegation of 7 senior staff, including the Ombudsman himself, to learn more about recent developments in the prevention of torture, with a focus on addressing vulnerabilities in detention. The delegation was able to access a broad range of resources to support inspectors in conducting effective monitoring visits and formulating actionable recommendations. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss legal and practical issues arising in the implementation of international standards.

The group notably exchanged opinions on the value of the Ombudsperson’s Office combining the functions of both NPM and handling citizen’s complaints. In the Montenegrin context, such institutional set up enabled the Ombudsperson to have complementary perspectives for the prevention of torture, without running the risk of either mandate overshadowing the other thanks to the small size of the country. The group also pointed to the potential of public advocacy as a tool to raise awareness, prevent and combat ill-treatment and discrimination.