CAT/OP/KAZ/1
must always wear a uniform. 24 In many places, badges indicating the crime committed and
the length of the sentence must be worn, and detainees must recite that information when
presenting themselves. The same badges are also fixed on beds. In some places the
delegation observed that detainees must greet the officer in unison when an officer enters
the room.
96.
In the context of maintaining discipline, the Subcommittee learned about daily
“parading” exercises that involve marching and the singing of the national anthem for more
than 30 minutes. They take place every day, unless the temperature drops significantly.
Even elderly prisoners and prisoners with disabilities must participate. Some interlocutors
described scenes of such persons collapsing during the march.
97.
Article 13 of the Criminal Execution Code guarantees freedom of conscience and
belief and allows for religious clerics to gain access to prisons. In practice, however, the
delegation received reports that religious detainees are closely watched, are often punished
and have limited possibilities to practice their religion, including in terms of praying. In
some places, there were complaints about a lack of access to religious literature and
restrictions on praying.
98.
Despite efforts by the Government to provide more work and training opportunities
for prisoners, the absence of meaningful activities for many remains a major issue.
99.
To ensure that freedom of religion is respected in all places of deprivation of
liberty, the Subcommittee recommends that prisoners be granted access to religious
services, to books of religious observance and to instruction in prison in accordance
with international norms, in particular rule 66 of the Nelson Mandela Rules.
100. The Subcommittee recommends that parading and marching, reciting the list
of crimes of which one is convicted, answering in chorus and forced shaving be
discontinued, as they do not constitute effective means of achieving the aims spelled
out in legislation and are not in accordance with rule 36 of the Nelson Mandela Rules.
101. The Subcommittee observed that documentation of movements inside and
outside prisons is not consistent or systematic, which leads to loopholes. The
Subcommittee therefore recommends improving the system of registers to ensure that
it is always clear who is responsible for a detainee at a given moment.
102. The Subcommittee welcomes efforts to occupy detainees with meaningful
activities and to create training and employment opportunities for prisoners, and
recommends intensifying these efforts as there are more detainees who wish to work
than jobs available.
2.
Contact with the outside world
103. Contact with the outside world depends on the “conditions”, which in turn depend
on the behaviour of detainees. In softer conditions, four short and four long (two-day) visits
per year are authorized, while under the strict conditions in maximum security institutions
convicts are allowed no more than three short visits per year. 25 Being placed under strict
conditions also means that telephones can be used only in exceptional situations, including
emergencies. 26 Detainees in strict conditions are not allowed to work. The number of
parcels is also dependent on the conditions. A shift from strict conditions back to common
conditions can take place at the earliest one year following punishment for a violation. 27
104. In most institutions, access to telephones must be authorized by the administration.
In some cases, even if the regime allows for access to telephones in accordance with the
institution’s schedule, there are not enough telephones; de facto access is thus restricted
even further.
24
25
26
27
16
Ibid., art. 97 (4).
Ibid., art. 138.
Ibid., art. 109.
Ibid., art. 139 (5).
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