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ARMENIA, MACEDONIA RAPPED FOR RIGHTS ABUSE BY COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Agence France Presse -- English
November 16, 2006 Thursday 3:49 PM GMT
Rights abuse remained rife at the hands of police and prison
authorities in Armenia and Macedonia, the Council of Europe's Committee
for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) said in separate reports issued
this week.
Reporting Thursday on an ad hoc visit to Armenia in April 2004,
triggered by complaints of police brutality during an anti-government
protest, the CPT said some of the allegations of misconduct were
substantiated, including police punches, blows and kicks against
protestors and the use of Russian-made "sound/light bombs", also
known as electric truncheons.
"The CPT calls upon the Armenian authorities to make it clear to all
police and National Security Service staff that the ill-treatment of
persons in custody is illegal," the report said.
The committee, which said the authorities had collaborated with
its investigators, asked to receive copies of follow-up forensic
reports on the incident and to be kept informed of investigations
into complaints of police misconduct.
Given the lack of trained anti-riot squads, it also urged that
the country provide specific training for police regarding crowd
control and ensure that allegations of misconduct by detainees be
systematically recorded by judges as well as by medical staff.
In a separate report on Macedonia, summing up the CPT's fifth visit
to the country, also in 2004, the committee looked at how detainees
were treated by law enforcement agencies and examined accountability
for ill-treatment as well as the situation in remand prisons.
While there were no complaints at Geevvelija or Stip remand prisons,
there were problems at the overcrowded Skopje prison, where one inmate
showed bruises consistent with beatings.
Showers were allowed only every two weeks.
The CPT said ill-treatment by police remained significant, citing
"severe beating with batons or wooden sticks to extract a confession."
"The CPT recommends that senior police officers regularly instruct
their subordinates that ill-treatment will not be tolerated," the
report said.
It also reminded the authorities of the right of people being held
in custody to be guaranteed access to doctors.
Agence France Presse -- English
November 16, 2006 Thursday 3:49 PM GMT
Rights abuse remained rife at the hands of police and prison
authorities in Armenia and Macedonia, the Council of Europe's Committee
for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) said in separate reports issued
this week.
Reporting Thursday on an ad hoc visit to Armenia in April 2004,
triggered by complaints of police brutality during an anti-government
protest, the CPT said some of the allegations of misconduct were
substantiated, including police punches, blows and kicks against
protestors and the use of Russian-made "sound/light bombs", also
known as electric truncheons.
"The CPT calls upon the Armenian authorities to make it clear to all
police and National Security Service staff that the ill-treatment of
persons in custody is illegal," the report said.
The committee, which said the authorities had collaborated with
its investigators, asked to receive copies of follow-up forensic
reports on the incident and to be kept informed of investigations
into complaints of police misconduct.
Given the lack of trained anti-riot squads, it also urged that
the country provide specific training for police regarding crowd
control and ensure that allegations of misconduct by detainees be
systematically recorded by judges as well as by medical staff.
In a separate report on Macedonia, summing up the CPT's fifth visit
to the country, also in 2004, the committee looked at how detainees
were treated by law enforcement agencies and examined accountability
for ill-treatment as well as the situation in remand prisons.
While there were no complaints at Geevvelija or Stip remand prisons,
there were problems at the overcrowded Skopje prison, where one inmate
showed bruises consistent with beatings.
Showers were allowed only every two weeks.
The CPT said ill-treatment by police remained significant, citing
"severe beating with batons or wooden sticks to extract a confession."
"The CPT recommends that senior police officers regularly instruct
their subordinates that ill-treatment will not be tolerated," the
report said.
It also reminded the authorities of the right of people being held
in custody to be guaranteed access to doctors.