News 2025
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes a new comprehensive standard on healthcare in prison
Drawing on 35 years of field visits and interviews with detained persons, healthcare professionals, prison staff, and national authorities across Europe, the CPT recalls the crucial role of healthcare services in upholding dignity in detention. The CPT highlights 10 essential principles that an...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its 2025 visit to Hungary
During its May 2023 visit to Hungary, the CPT received numerous credible allegations of physical ill-treatment of prisoners by staff at Tiszalök National Prison. In 2025, the Committee decided to carry out a follow-up visit to this establishment to re-examine the treatment and conditions of...
Council of Europe anti-torture committee (CPT) publishes report on Cyprus, highlighting serious concerns about Nicosia Central Prisons
The CPT found that some positive steps had been taken to implement recommendations issued by the Committee following previous visits in 2017 and 2023. These included a reduction in allegations of physical ill-treatment by prison staff in Nicosia Central Prisons (NCP) and improvements in the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) carries out a visit to the United Kingdom
The main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of women held in prison in England and Wales. To this end, the delegation visited HMP Eastwood Park and HMP Styal. In the course of the visit, the delegation met with James Timpson, Minister of State for...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its 2025 ad hoc visit to the Republic of Moldova
The main objective of the visit was to re-examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons held in prison in Moldova. To this end, the CPT returned to visit Prison no. 6 in Soroca and Prison no. 15 in Cricova, and visited for the first time Prison no. 2 in Lipcani. The CPT notes the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits Germany
The objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty by the police and in prisons, with a specific focus on persons held in preventive detention (Sicherungsverwahrung) and women, as well as security measures applied to detained...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Montenegro
The main objective of the visit was to examined the treatment and conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty in various places of detention. To this end, it visited several prisons, juvenile detention and educational-correctional establishments, psychiatric facilities and social...
The CPT and the European Court of Human Rights hold a seminar on prisoner’s rights and the situation of prisons in Europe
The participants discussed somatic and mental health in prison, solitary confinement, measurable standard for assessing material conditions of detention and respect for private life. This dialogue is crucial, as the CPT and the ECHR play complementary roles in identifying shortcomings and shaping...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) holds high-level talks in Ireland on longstanding prison and health issues
The discussions focused on the current situation in Irish prisons and the action being taken by the Irish authorities to implement the recommendations from the CPT’s most recent visit in May 2024. Many of these recommendations date back many years and the CPT wished to seek reassurance from the...
The CPT adopts eight visit reports and approves its updated and consolidated standards on healthcare in prison
During the meeting, the CPT examined and adopted the reports on visits to Türkiye (March 2025), Liechtenstein (April 2025), Spain (April-May 2025), Romania (April-May 2025), Belgium (May 2025), Ukraine (May-June 2025), Republic of Moldova (June 2025), and the United Kingdom (Scotland) (June...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on its 2025 visit on social care to Austria
The purpose of this visit was to examine the treatment of persons accommodated in residential care homes. To this end, the delegation visited four privately run institutions, two in the state of Lower Austria – Beer Home in Neulengbach, SeneCura Home in Purkersdorf, and two in the state of Styria...
Russia withdraws from the Council of Europe’s Anti-Torture Convention
Russia joined the ECPT in 1998. Between 1998 and 2021, the European Anti-Torture Committee (CPT) carried out 30 visits to Russia. However, the Russian authorities have only agreed to the publication of four CPT visit reports and the responses to them. The CPT also issued five public statements on...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits immigration detention facilities in France
In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with senior officials of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health. It also met with Dominique Simonnot, Contrôleure générale des lieux de privation de liberté (National Preventive Mechanism) as well as representatives of...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on ad hoc visit to Portugal
In its report, the CPT noted the decreased prevalence of allegations of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials as compared with previous visits. Nevertheless, a number of allegations of physical ill-treatment, including excessive use of force upon apprehension, were received. The alleged...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits the Netherlands
In the course of the visit, the delegation assessed the treatment and conditions in facilities dedicated to the detention of foreign nationals, under either penal or administrative legislation. During the visit, the delegation held consultations with David van Weel, Minister of Foreign Affairs...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on its 2024 ad hoc visit to Romania
The purpose of the visit was to assess the treatment and living conditions of forensic psychiatric patients held in the four Romanian psychiatric and safety measures hospitals. For this reason, the CPT conducted follow-up visits to Săpoca, last visited in 2014, and Pădureni-Grajduri Hospital,...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) carries out a visit to Azerbaijan
The main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons in the custody of law enforcement agencies, and persons accommodated in prison establishments. The delegation also examined the treatment, conditions and legal safeguards offered to persons...
CPT President visits Frontex Headquarters
The CPT delegation was provided with a briefing on the current operations of Frontex and the challenges facing the organization. Particular reference was made to the exploitation of vulnerable persons and children by smuggling gangs and the efforts to identify and support persons at risk. The CPT...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) carries out a visit to Italy
The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons held in a number of prisons and to assess the ways in which the Italian authorities are tackling the serious challenges facing the prison system, notably prison overcrowding, staff numbers and training,...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes the response of the Czech authorities to the report on the 2024 periodic visit to Czechia
During the visit, the CPT focused on the treatment of persons held in police custody, as well as in several prisons and two security detention facilities. It also examined the situation of juveniles placed in Olešnice Educational Institution. The CPT also continued its dialogue with the Czech...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes the response of the Danish authorities to the report on the 2025 ad hoc visit to Greenland (Denmark)
The purpose of the visit was to examine the conditions of detention, regime and treatment of persons accommodated in the closed unit (Unit A) of the new prison in Nuuk (Ny Anstalt). The response of the Danish authorities addresses the recommendations, comments and requests for information...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its ad hoc visit to Bulgaria
The objective of the visit was to assess the implementation of the CPT’s long-standing recommendations concerning the treatment and conditions of detention of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty pursuant to aliens legislation. To this end, the CPT’s delegation carried out follow-up visits...
The CoE anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes its report on prisons, police establishments, and a juvenile education centre in Catalonia (Spain)
The primary objective of the ad hoc visit to Spain was to examine the treatment of persons detained in police stations and prison establishments, with a focus on prisoners accommodated in closed-regime departments, the so-called DERTs (Departements Especials de Règim Tancat), and on persons...
Council of Europe anti-torture committee (CPT) publishes report on Ireland, highlighting serious concerns about prisons
The CPT noted that certain reforms to improve the situation in Irish prisons had been implemented since the Committee’s previous visit in 2019. For example, infrastructure has improved, particularly in the women’s estate, and the use of segregation for security reasons has decreased...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its 2023 periodic visit to Malta
In the prison system, Corradino Correctional Facility (CCF) and the Centre of Residential Restorative Services (CORRs) have seen a shift towards better psychological support and reintegration planning. Most prisoners reported correct treatment by staff and a generally calm environment. However,...
The CPT adopted visit reports on Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Türkiye and held exchanges on racism and intolerance with ECRI
The CPT adopted the reports on visits to Georgia (December 2024 and January 2025), Greece (January 2025), Austria (March 2025), Hungary (March-April 2025), Cyprus (April 2025) and Türkiye (April 2025). The reports will be communicated to the national authorities and published as soon as possible....
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes the response of the Danish authorities to the report on the 2024 visit
During the visit, the CPT delegation examined the treatment and conditions of detention of prisoners, foreign nationals detained pursuant to aliens’ legislation, and psychiatric patients. It also looked into the treatment and safeguards afforded to persons deprived of their liberty by the police....
Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee (CPT) returns to Greece for high-level talks on prison reform
The meeting, hosted in the office of the Prime Minister (Megaro Maximou), focussed on the action required to tackle the chronic crisis within prisons and to reform the prison system. The discussions followed up on the findings of the Committee’s visits in 2021 and January 2025 and the previous...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee holds high-level talks in Cyprus
The CPT president returned to Cyprus following on from the Committee’s visits in May 2023 and April 2025 to discuss various long-standing challenges facing the Nicosia Central Prison, the only prison in the Republic of Cyprus. Several persistent concerns regarding police custody were also...
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes a report on its visit to establishments for children in the Netherlands
The objective of this ad hoc visit to the Netherlands was to examine the measures taken by the Dutch authorities to counter violence amounting to a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in JeugdzorgPlus institutions. To this end, the CPT delegation visited three...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes the response of the Norwegian authorities to the report on the 2024 visit
To recall, the CPT report, inter alia emphasised that no allegations were received of physical ill-treatment of prisoners by staff in the prisons visited, and that the Norwegian prison system continued to benefit from a well-trained and motivated staff. However, the CPT noted that the decreasing...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Scotland
The main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty in Scottish prison establishments, and secure care accommodation for minors, as well as to assess the progress made since the CPT’s visits in 2018 and 2019. The delegation...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) carries out a visit to Moldova, focusing on prisons
The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and detention conditions of persons held in prison. To this end, the CPT delegation visited Prison no. 2 in Lipcani, Prison no. 6 in Soroca and Prison no. 15 in Cricova. Particular attention was paid to the measures taken by the authorities to...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) carries out a periodic visit to Belgium
The main objective of the visit was to assess the treatment afforded to persons deprived of their liberty in prisons and forensic psychiatric centres (FPCs). To this end, the delegation visited five prisons in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia, as well as the FPCs in Antwerp and Ghent. On the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its ad hoc visit to Greenland (Denmark)
The purpose of the visit was to examine the conditions of detention, regime and treatment of persons accommodated in the closed unit (Unit A) of the new prison in Nuuk (Ny Anstalt). Brought into service in 2019, it is the only prison establishment in Greenland which has a closed unit. Previously,...
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee conducts its 9th periodic visit to Spain, focusing on prison and police establishments
The main purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment of persons held in police and prison establishments as well as the situation of juvenile offenders. To this end, the CPT delegation visited seven prison establishments, one juvenile detention centre and various Civil Guard and National...
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits prisons, detention establishments for children and police facilities in Romania
The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment of persons held in prison and police establishments. The CPT delegation also reviewed the conditions and treatment of children in conflict with the law. To this end, the delegation visited four prisons, with a particular focus on persons held...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its 2024 periodic visit to Slovenia
During the visit, the CPT examined the treatment of persons at Koper and Ljubljana Prisons and their conditions of detention. It also assessed the situation of persons living in Lukavci Special Social Welfare Establishment. There has been a sharp increase in the number of prisoners in recent...
CPT’s 35th Anniversary Exhibition: “Behind the walls: the CPT in action”
Inaugurating a photo exhibition to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, reiterated the significant progress of the CPT’s work...
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) calls for action to combat prison overcrowding and informal hierarchies in prisons
In its annual report, the CPT expresses serious concern about the significant increase in prison overcrowding in 2024, particularly in some Western European countries, and urges governments to address it with resolute measures. Prison overcrowding completely undermines the functioning of prisons...
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) holds high-level talks in Bulgaria
The objective of the talks was to present the CPT’s key findings and recommendations regarding the treatment of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty pursuant to aliens legislation, as set out in its report on the September 2024 ad hoc visit to Bulgaria, The report was adopted by the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) carries out a visit to Türkiye
The main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and safeguards afforded to persons deprived of their liberty by the police, particularly in the context of the public demonstrations held since 19 March 2025. To this end, the delegation visited the main police detention facilities in...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits Liechtenstein
The objective of the visit was to review the conditions of detention and the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by Liechtenstein authorities. For this purpose, the delegation examined the situation of persons held at Vaduz State Prison and paid particular attention to the safeguards...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its 2023 periodic visit to Slovakia
During the visit, the CPT delegation focused on the treatment of persons held in police custody, in several prisons, and at Medveďov Immigration Detention Facility. It also assessed the situation of persons held at Hronovce Detention Institute and of involuntary patients in two civil psychiatric...
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee announces periodic visits to eight countries in 2026
The Committee intends to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the following countries: Bulgaria Finland Lithuania Poland Republic of Moldova Serbia Sweden United Kingdom Persons and organisations in possession of relevant information concerning the situation of persons...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Cyprus
The main objective of the visit was to visit and examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons held at Nicosia Central Prisons and Pournara Initial Registration Centre and to review the progress in the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations since its previous visit in...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits Türkiye to examine psychiatric establishments
The focus of the CPT visit to Türkiye was to examine the treatment and living conditions of both “civil” and forensic psychiatric patients deprived of their liberty, as well as the situation of prisoners with mental health conditions held in special “Prisoner Wards” in psychiatric hospitals. To...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) carries out an ad hoc visit to Hungary, focusing on prisons
The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and detention conditions of persons held in prison. To this end, the CPT delegation visited Tiszalök and Szombathely National Prisons. Particular attention was paid to the measures taken by the authorities to implement recommendations made by...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits residential care homes in Austria
The purpose of this visit was to examine the treatment of persons accommodated in residential care homes. To this end, the CPT delegation visited four institutions, two in the state of Lower Austria and two in the state of Styria. In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its 2024 periodic visit to Czechia
During the visit, the CPT focused on the treatment of persons held in police custody, several prisons and two security detention facilities. It also examined the situation of juveniles placed in an educational institution. The CPT also continued its dialogue with the Czech authorities on the use...
The CPT adopted 10 visit reports and elected a new Bureau – President and Vice-Presidents
The CPT adopted the reports on the visits to Bulgaria (September 2024), Bosnia and Herzegovina (September 2024), Denmark – Greenland (January 2025), France (September-October 2024), the Netherlands (October 2024), Portugal (November 2024), Romania (September-October 2024), Serbia...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) deplores overcrowding and violence in prisons in Guadeloupe and French Guiana (France)
In the course of this fourth visit to the French overseas territories, the CPT visited 19 police and gendarmerie establishments, three prisons and three hospitals (see full list below) in November and December 2023. The vast majority of persons interviewed made no allegations of ill-treatment by...
The Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) holds high-level talks in Latvia
The main objective of the talks was to discuss the action taken by the Government to address the long-standing recommendations regarding inter-prisoner violence and the influence of the informal prisoner hierarchy. The CPT’s report on its May 2024 visit, published on 26 February 2025 with the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on its 2024 ad hoc visit to Latvia
The purpose of this visit was to examine the treatment of persons held in prisons and to follow up on the situation found there in the 2022 visit. More specifically, the visiting delegation considered the measures taken by the Latvian authorities in response to the long-standing CPT...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits Greece to examine conditions of detention in prisons and police establishments
The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty in Greek prisons and by the Hellenic Police. The visit was an opportunity to review the progress made by the authorities in implementing the Committee’s recommendations in...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee returns to Georgia to complete its periodic visit
The visit was an opportunity for the CPT to assess the treatment of persons remanded in custody at Penitentiary Establishment No. 8 in Gldani (Tbilisi) in relation to the demonstrations which have been ongoing since 29 November 2024. Further, the CPT delegation met the leadership of the Special...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on 2024 visit to Norway
No allegations were received of physical ill-treatment of prisoners by staff in the prisons visited. On the contrary, the Norwegian prison system continued to benefit from a well-trained and motivated staff. It is also positive that the material conditions in the prisons visited were mostly...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) visits Denmark (Greenland)
The purpose of the visit was to examine the conditions of detention, regime and treatment of persons accommodated in the closed unit (Unit A) of the new prison in Nuuk (Ny Anstalt). Brought into service in 2019, it is the only prison establishment in Greenland which has a closed unit. Previously,...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) holds high-level talks on prisons and psychiatry in Denmark
The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss long-standing issues, such as prison overcrowding and material conditions, in particular access to toilets in prison, regimes for remand and high-security prisoners, staffing levels and training. Healthcare, including medical screening on arrival...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on 2024 visit to Switzerland
As regards the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty by the police, the CPT once again received allegations of physical ill-treatment and excessive use of force, including biting by police dogs, truncheon blows, headbutts, punches and kicks, as well as violent tackling to the ground....
Review of 2024 activities and upcoming visits for 2025
Prison overcrowding and its nefarious consequences, which include violence, lack of activities and poor living conditions, remain a real problem in more and more countries. The legacy of informal prisoner hierarchies has not yet been overcome in the prison systems of countries of the former...
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