CAT/C/39/2 page 50 priority accorded by the Lula Administration to the promotion and protection of human rights as shown by the creation of three Special Secretariats with ministerial level on the issue and by deepening dialogue and cooperation with the international protection machinery - led Brazil to promptly agree with the request of a visit sent by the Committee in December 2003; there was only a request for a shift of dates necessary for its adequate preparation and carrying out. 211. The Brazilian Government expresses its satisfaction for the recognition by the Committee, in paragraph 19 of its Report, of the cooperation and support of the Government of Brazil for the visit and for the respect to the principles agreed with the Committee for its realization. Throughout the visit, the Brazilian Government accorded the Committee full freedom of transit and investigation, with access to relevant officials at every level and Powers of the Federation, access and private contacts with representatives of non-governmental organizations, likely witnesses and persons deprived of freedom. The Brazilian Government also assured the security measures necessary to the members of the Committee and other members of its delegation during the whole visit. In cases of seeming conflict between security needs and freedom of investigation, the Brazilian authorities left this appraisal at the discretion of the members of CAT, as in the instances when members of the delegation decided to enter unaccompanied in cells and pavilions with a large number of inmates. 212. As mentioned by the Committee, the visit of the CAT delegation was not possible in only one detention center: the Regional Penitentiary Jason Soares Albergaria, in São Joaquim de Bicas - MG. The Brazilian Government expresses its appreciation to the Committee for recognizing the efforts of an official of the Ministry of External Relations to allow access of the CAT delegation to that the detention center and regrets the lack of communication between the Secretariat for Social Defense of Minas Gerais and the administration of that prison unit, which made impossible the realization of the visit. It stresses the cooperation by State authorities to the visits to all the other detention centers singled out by the Committee in that State and the isolated nature of the incident. It points out that the delegation of the Committee sought the visit to the Regional Penitentiary on a week-end, when on the one hand visits by families of inmates were in progress, and on the other communication with relevant State authorities to assure access by the Committee was more difficult. It recalls that the Regional Penitentiary Jason Albergaria, opened in November 2003, is a modern prison establishment, recently built, and had even been mentioned to the Committee in its meetings with state authorities as an example of efforts carried out to improve prison conditions. 213. The Brazilian Government thanks the delegation of the Committee for having informed all persons whom it met in Brazil that the visit had a confidential character, according to article 20 of the Convention. It regrets, however, that some representatives of non-governmental organizations with whom the Salvador-BA team met in Salvador BA did not respect the confidentiality of the procedure. According to the annex documents, the visit of CAT to Salvador came to be announced by the local press, including declarations of persons who may have had contact with the Committee’s delegation. In some instances, photographers tailed the members of the delegation from one of the leading local newspapers. The Brazilian Government highlights the importance of rule 81.3 of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee, about the oath and the solemn declaration of truthful witness and respect for the confidentiality of the procedures on the part of all persons from whom the members of the Committee may obtain testimony.