For a person in police detention, an interview can be a defining moment. It should be a search for reliable information—not a source of fear or pressure. The way an interview is planned, conducted and recorded can help protect a person’s dignity and rights, while also supporting sound investigations.

That responsibility was at the heart of a two-day training for experienced police inspectors, held in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 13–14 October 2026. The inspectors practised a structured interviewing method designed to help them gather information professionally and respect the rights of suspects and witnesses in police detention.

The training focused on skills that participants could demonstrate and have verified: planning an interview, informing the person of their rights, conducting the conversation appropriately, recording it, and evaluating the information afterwards. These steps are brought together in the SPOP methodology: Snimanje, Planiranje, Obavještavanje o pravima i Pojašnjavanje—recording, planning, informing people of their rights, and clarification or evaluation.

Through practical exercises and feedback, 26 inspectors had their newly developed interviewing skills verified. They came from all 10 Cantonal and Federal Ministries of Interior, as well as the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior. Their reach could extend well beyond the training room: they are expected to share the approach with colleagues and help make rights-respecting interviewing part of everyday police practice.

The training also supports preparations to introduce audio-video recording of interviews with persons deprived of liberty—a long-standing recommendation of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Recording interviews can help prevent ill-treatment and provide a reliable record when allegations arise. To make that safeguard effective, equipment must be accompanied by clear operational procedures for police professionals.

The inspectors began strengthening their interviewing skills at an earlier session in Tuzla, on 16–17 June 2026. Now, with their skills verified, they are expected to become multipliers of good practice: role models for junior colleagues and promoters of a more professional, transparent and respectful approach.

The methodology also reinforces the importance of close cooperation between police investigators and prosecutors, including in cases involving alleged human rights violations. Together, clearer procedures, professional interviewing and effective safeguards can help ensure that the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights is reflected in policing practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The hoped-for impact is practical and personal: interviews that produce more reliable information, stronger accountability, and greater respect for the rights and dignity of every person deprived of liberty.

The training was delivered by core trainers whose skills were developed through the Joint Council of Europe and European Union Programme “Further Strengthening the Treatment of Detained and Sentenced Persons in Line with European Standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. The same group of trainers had previously developed a resource manual on this methodology, aligned with the Mendez Principles and the Council of Europe’s Principles for Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering.

The  activity was organised as part of the action “Further strengthening the treatment of detained and sentenced persons in line with European standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina“ under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.