Geneva, The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) is scheduled to conduct its inaugural visit to Albania from April 14 to April 20. The visit aims to assess the treatment and protection of individuals deprived of their liberty in various detention facilities across the country.

According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the SPT delegation plans to visit multiple sites, including prisons, police stations, and detention centers. The visit will facilitate meetings with Albanian government officials, the national preventive mechanism of Albania, and representatives from civil society organizations.

The delegation, led by Vasiliki Artinopoulou, will evaluate the measures Albania has implemented to prevent torture and ill-treatment of detainees. They will also provide recommendations to enhance the country’s adherence to its treaty obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which Albania ratified in 2003.

The SPT’s mandate includes all State parties to the protocol. At the conclusion of their visit, the SPT will deliver confidential preliminary observations to the Government of Albania. The delegation members include experts from Greece, Lebanon, Georgia, and Montenegro, supported by two human rights officers from the SPT Secretariat.