Council of Europe anti-torture committee assesses Georgia’s progress

The Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) delegation has carried out a visit to Georgia from 10 to 21 September.

The delegation has assessed progress made in the implementation of the recommendations made by the CPT following the previous visit in 2014.

Delegation members have paid particular attention to the treatment of persons in police custody and the situation of prisoners in penitentiary establishments, in particular those in high-risk and semi-open prisons, as well as juvenile inmates.

Furthermore, the delegation carried out visits to several psychiatric hospitals and, for the first time in Georgia, to an immigration detention facility.

In the course of the visit, the delegation has held consultations with Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani, Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Gakharia, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs David Sergeenko and with several other senior officials.

Such periodic visits usually take place every four years. The findings of the visit are then shared with the government and made public, as well as the comments of the government.