12 Introduction domain of the protection of fundamental rights stipulated in Article 30 of the Fundamental Law, I have been performing the NPM tasks, as the first Hungarian Ombudsman with such a mandate, since 1 January 2015. In order to perform my tasks related to the NPM, I regularly examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty and held at various places of detention (hereinafter “place of detention”), specified in Article 4 of the Protocol, also in the absence of any petition or alleged impropriety.7 In performing my tasks related to the NPM, I conducted 52 inspections till 30 December 2018, which accounts for a significant part of my activities. I have regularly published my reports on the unannounced, multidisciplinary visits at various places of detention on the homepage of my Office. The reports by the NPM have been receiving attention from and processed by not only the printed and electronic press but also the professional circles concerned. I have reviewed my activities on the basis of the observations and recommendations8 put forth by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter the “Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture”, SPT)9 in its report on its visit to Hungary from 21 to 30 March 2017, and I have informed the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture about it in writing.10 This is the fourth time that I am complying with my obligation11 to prepare a comprehensive report on the performance of the tasks related to the National Preventive Mechanism. In addition to reporting on the visits performed by the NPM, this comprehensive report on the performance of these tasks in 2018 is also to inform the reader about the challenges, the dialogue with the competent ministries and authorities, and the cooperation with non-governmental organizations, foreign partner institutions, and international human rights organizations, as well as my response to the conclusions and recommendations of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, and my measures with a view to their implementation. Budapest, April 2019 László Székely 7 8 9 10 11 Section 39/B(1) of the Ombudsman Act. Article 2 of OPCAT. SPT Visit to Hungary, 21-30 March 2017: Conclusions and Recommendations for the National Preventive Mechanism (CAT/OP/HUN/R.2). I have published the report of the Subcommittee on Prevention and my response to it on the website of the Office in both Hungarian and English. Available at: www.ajbh.hu/opcat-SPT-jelentes-2017 See: Annex 1. Section 39/C of the Ombudsman Act.