30 June 2022

On June 29, 2022, the Deputy Protector of Citizens, Nataša Tanjević, PhD, and her colleagues from the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), held a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Commission for the implementation of standards of police conduct in the area of torture prevention. The purpose of the meeting was to maintain continuous dialogue and cooperation regarding possible measures to implement the NPM recommendations, exchange information and improve cooperation in the field of torture prevention.

Tanjević, PhD, pointed out the key observations of the NPM monitoring teams during their visits to police administrations, that is, police stations within their composition, since the beginning of the year, the recommendations issued, the improvements observed. Further activities in that area were discussed, that is, the need for further improvements, especially in terms of exercising the right of access to a defence attorney.

The president of the commission presented the activities undertaken by the MoI in order to further improve the conditions of stay in detention facilities, as well as activities related to equipping hearing rooms with technical equipment for video and/or audio recording of hearings. He also presented the activities and results achieved within the Council of Europe project "Strengthening the protection of human rights of persons deprived of their liberty and convicted persons in Serbia", especially with regard to the preparation of the Rulebook and guidelines for conducting informative interviews with different categories of persons. The president of the commission also stated that, in accordance with the recommendations of the NPM, the improved version of the application on apprehended and detained persons will begin to be implemented from July.

The participants of the meeting agreed on the need to improve the cooperation of the MoI with the Ministry of Health in order to standardize the forms that are filled out after the examination of persons deprived of their liberty, as well as to organize, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, training for health workers on the performance of examinations of persons deprived of their liberty, which, according to the president of the commission, will be realized within the aforementioned project.

Cooperation with representatives of the Commission for the implementation of standards of police conduct in the area of torture prevention represents an example of good practice, when it comes to continuous dialogue with the NPM, aimed at implementing the issued recommendations and improving the situation in this area.

26 June 2022

The prevention of torture and the fight against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment are not only issues of fulfillment of Serbia's international obligations, but by guaranteeing the physical and psychological integrity and dignity of every citizen, we preserve the dignity of us all, said the Protector of Citizens today, Zoran Pašalić, on the occasion of 26 June, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

Pašalić emphasized that in preventing torture and protecting the rights of persons deprived of their liberty who are in closed institutions, the preventive visits and control of the manner in which they are treated are of particular importance, as well as the implementation of effective investigations into all allegations of possible abuse and the certainty of punishing the perpetrators. In Serbia, there is a tendency to improve the protection of rights of persons deprived of their liberty, as well as to prevent torture and other forms of abuse, he added.

In the first half of this year, in performing the tasks of the National Preventive Mechanism, the Protector of Citizens made 43 visits to places where persons deprived of their liberty are or may be located, and on the basis of the visits made, issued over 60 recommendations to the visited institutions and relevant ministries in order to improve the material conditions in which they live, as well as to improve health care and treatment. One of the preconditions for improving the position of persons deprived of their liberty in the Republic of Serbia is the implementation of continuous trainings for police officers on human rights and acting in accordance with applicable regulations and standards, pointed out Zoran Pašalić.

24 June 2022

Europe NPM Network in 2022, which was organized by the Austrian Ombudsman Board, that chairs the NPM Network, from 20-22 June in Vienna. The topic of the meeting was "Special needs of the elderly and persons with physical disabilities in places of deprivation of liberty".

At the meeting, it was emphasized that the elderly and persons with physical disabilities, in circumstances of deprivation of liberty, should be accommodated together with other convicts, in adequate conditions adapted to their needs, with full respect for their dignity. Convicts in need of special care should also be accommodated in adequate material conditions, with the availability of a sufficient number of trained caregivers.

The participants agreed that all employees, who are involved in the supervision and care of the elderly and persons with physical disabilities in places of deprivation of liberty, should regularly attend specific training.

It was also concluded that in the process of preparing for release, the competent state authorities should ensure adequate assistance to those categories of persons, in accordance with their individual needs. During the meeting, the participants exchanged experiences and practices on the topic of NPM's relations with the public.

1 June 2022

Deputy Protector of Citizens, Nataša Tanjević, PhD, with an associate from the Secretariat of the Protector of Citizens, participated in training sessions for employees in social protection institutions on Council of Europe standards, on 24 May 2022 in Požarevac and 25 May 2022 in Novi Sad, during which the employees of the Home for Children and Persons with Developmental Disabilities "Dr. Nikola Šumenković" from Stamnica, the Institution for Adults and the Elderly in Veliki Popovac and the Home for Persons with Mental Disabilities in Stara Moravica, were presented, among other things, with the work and mandate of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) and the recommendations of the NPM regarding visits to social welfare homes.

The training was organized by the Council of Europe, within the project "Strengthening the protection of human rights of persons deprived of their liberty and convicted persons in Serbia", phase II. In addition to the Deputy Protector of Citizens and employees of the Secretariat of the Protector of Citizens, the lecturers at the subject training were also consultants of the Council of Europe, prof. Ivana Krstić Davinić, PhD and Marta Sjeničić, PhD.

The training participants had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the general standards of the Council of Europe regarding the protection of rights of persons placed in social welfare institutions, the compliance of domestic regulations with the standards of the Council of Europe, the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) after the visit to the Republic of Serbia in 2021, the mandate and the working methodology of the NPM of the Protector of Citizens and the most significant recommendations of the NPM issued to the visited social protection institutions and the competent ministry.

1 June 2022

On 23 May 2022, the Deputy Protector of Citizens, Nataša Tanjević, PhD, together with an associate from the Secretariat of the Protector of Citizens, participated in the training of health workers on the standards of the Council of Europe, during which, among other things, she presented the work and the mandate of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) and the recommendations of the NPM regarding visits to psychiatric institutions.

The training was organized by the Council of Europe within the project "Strengthening the protection of human rights of persons deprived of their liberty and convicted persons in Serbia", phase II. In addition to the Deputy Protector of Citizens and an employee of the Secretariat of the Protector of Citizens, lecturers at the mentioned training were also prof. Ivana Krstić Davinić, PhD, and Marta Sjeničić, PhD.

The training participants had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the general standards of the Council of Europe regarding the protection of rights of persons placed in psychiatric institutions, the compliance of domestic regulations with the CoE standards, the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) after the visit to the Republic of Serbia in 2021, the mandate and methodology of the work of the National Preventive Mechanism of the Protector of Citizens and the most significant recommendations of the NPM issued to the visited psychiatric institutions and the Ministry of Health.

12 April 2022

On 4 and 5 April 2022, the team of the Protector of Citizens that performs the tasks of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) visited the Institution for Education of Children and Youth in Knjaževac. The visit was carried out in order to systematically control the degree of respect for the rights of beneficiaries in that institution.

Members of the NPM spoke with the management of the institution and with representatives of the service, reviewed records and other documentation. They also spoke with all beneficiaries and toured the accommodation capacities and other premises in the institution.

The NPM team was multidisciplinary. It consisted of a lawyer from the institution of the Protector of Citizens, special pedagogues from the Centre for Youth Integration and a psychologist from the Valjevo Human Rights Committee.

It was the first visit of the NPM to the institution in Knjaževac, and the professional behaviour of the management and employees of the institution during the visit is an example of good practice, in accordance with the obligation of the authorities, prescribed by law, to cooperate with the NPM.