Covid 19 / Consejo de Europa. Principios para el tratamiento de personas privadas de libertad

Con fecha de ayer, el Comité Anti-tortura del Consejo de Europa nos remitió una nota de prensa relativa a los principios que se deben aplicar en el tratamiento de personas privadas de libertad en el contexto de la epidemia por Covid 19.

Texto en inglés disponible en: ‘statement of principles’

COVID-19: Council of Europe anti-torture Committee issues principles on treatment of persons deprived of their liberty

Strasbourg, 20.03.2020 – The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today a statement of principles relating to the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created extraordinary challenges for the authorities of all member States of the Council of Europe”, said Mykola Gnatovskyy, President of the CPT. “There are specific and intense challenges for staff working in various places of deprivation of liberty, including police detention facilities, penitentiary institutions, immigration detention centres, psychiatric hospitals and social care homes, as well as in various newly-established facilities/zones were persons are placed in quarantine.

“Whilst acknowledging the clear imperative to take firm action to combat COVID-19, the CPT must remind all actors of the absolute nature of the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. Protective measures must never result in inhuman or degrading treatment of persons deprived of their liberty”, he added.

In the CPT’s view, the following principles should be applied by all relevant authorities responsible for persons deprived of their liberty within the Council of Europe area.