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.
