This project supported by Delagation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia (EIDHR) and /Open Society Institute

Donor: European Union, Open Society Institute, Budapest 
Duration of project: May 2009 – October 2012 

The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights from 2009 to 2012 implemented a project entitled “Suppressing  and Punishing Torture – From Adopting Legal Standards to Improving Practice”, which aimed to improve the legislation and practice of the state authorities with respect to the prevention and punishment of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In the course of this project BCHR conducted a number of activities aimed at improving the status of persons deprived of liberty in Serbia. Namely, BCHR associates have systematically monitored the activities of all state authorities relevant to the prevention and punishment of torture and other forms of ill-treatment, particularly the institutions under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, which they visited at least twice in this period and duly reported on. 

The BCHR organized 17 seminars for police, the Penal Sanctions Enforcement Administration staff, judges, prosecutors, Judicial Academy trainees, journalists and editors, to familiarize them with the international standards on the prevention and punishment of ill-treatment. These seminars were attended by approximately 400 civil servants. 

Five round tables were organized –– the first was devoted to the health care of persons deprived of liberty, the second to the design of a rulebook on policy custody, the third to exchange of experiences among nongovernment organizations focusing on the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, and the fourth to the status of juveniles in the penal sanctions enforcement system ––where participants discussed measures to improve the status of persons deprived of their liberty. In addition to this, one round table was devoted to the status of illegal migrants in penal institutions in Serbia. 

Two comprehensive reports on the situation in the penal institutions and the status of persons deprived of their liberty in Serbia were published in Serbian and English language.

 

Zarko Markovic, Treatment of Persons Deprived of Liberty, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

Prohibitioin of ill treatment and rights of persons deprived of their liberty in Serbia 2011.

 

 

 

Three specialized publications on torture: for judges and prosecutors, for police officers and staff of penal institutions, and for editors and journalists were published. These publications, which also comprise translations of the practice of international bodies related to the prohibition of ill-treatment, were systematically disseminated to the participants in the seminars organized by both the BCHR and other institutions focusing on the prohibition of ill-treatment.

 

 

 

Ivan Janković, “Prohibition of ill – treatment– manual for police officers and prison staff”

 

 

 

Radmila Dragičević Dičić, Ivan Janković, “Prevention and punishment of torture and other forms of ill – treatment – manual for judges and prosecutors”

 

 

 

 

Nevena Dičić Kostić, “Prohibition of ill – treatment and media reporting – manual for journalists”

 

 

 

The BCHR published on its website 15 electronic bulletins containing reports on visits to penal institutions, translations of the general recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and comments of judgments delivered by the European Court of Human Rights.

 

• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 1“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 2“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 3“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 4“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 5“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 6“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 7“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 8“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 9“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 10“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 11“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 12“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 13“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 14“
• „Postupanje sa licima lišenim slobode, br. 15“

The BCHR implemented a series of other activities either independently or in cooperation with other organizations, including: the preparation of a shadow report to the Human Rights Committee and a report on the punishment of ill-treatment in Serbia within the second cycle of the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) etc. 

Finally, recommendations on how to improve the legislative framework and practice regarding the prevention and punishment of ill-treatment in Serbia were presented to the following  state authorities: representatives of the National Assembly, Ministry of justice, directorate for Human Rights, Ministry of interior and Protector of Citizens (Ombudsperson).

 

Recommendations on how to improve the legislative framework and practice regarding the prevention and punishment of ill-treatment in Serbia can be downloaded here...