10 In the Reception Centre for Aliens, access to hot water and personal hygiene was ensured. People may spend as much time as they want in the fresh air. The warden and police officers bought two mobile phones that are available to aliens, who are obliged to buy credit in order to use it. In addition, family and third parties can call them on the official fixed phone of the Reception Centre. 8. CPT PRINCIPLE During the COVID-19 pandemic, the competent public authorities and all facilities where persons are deprived of their liberty in the territory of the Council of Europe should ensure that in cases of isolation a detained person, who is infected or is suspected of being infected by the COVID-19 virus, should be provided with meaningful contact every day. NPM FINDING There were no infected persons in the visited facilities on the day of the visit. Persons suspected of being infected were tested and the results were negative. 9. CPT PRINCIPLE During the COVID-19 pandemic, the competent public authorities and all facilities where persons are deprived of their liberty in the territory of the Council of Europe must fully respect the fundamental safeguards against the ill-treatment of persons in the custody of law enforcement officials (access to a lawyer, access to a doctor, notification of custody) in all circumstances and at all times; precautionary measures (such as requiring persons with symptoms to wear protective masks) may be appropriate in some circumstances. NPM FINDING Fundamental safeguards against ill-treatment are applied in all visited correctional institutions and none of the measures adopted in connection with the outbreak refer to the exercise of these rights of persons deprived of their liberty.8 Addressing the Protector of Citizens as a mechanism of external control in addition to the existing complaint mechanisms within the Administration, as well as addressing the penal sanctions enforcement judge, function smoothly. The Protector of Citizens regularly receives complaints from persons deprived of their liberty, and in order to monitor their treatment, the NPM has introduced a special telephone line, which is available daily from 8 am to 10 pm. 10. CPT PRINCIPLE During the COVID-19 pandemic, the competent public authorities and all facilities where persons are deprived of their liberty in the territory of the Council of Europe must enable monitoring by independent bodies, including National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) and the CPT over all places of detention including places where persons are kept in quarantine. All monitoring bodies should however take every precaution to observe the ‘do no harm’ principle, in particular when dealing with older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions. NPM FINDING The said principle is complied with in all visited facilities. As already mentioned,9 the visited facilities have achieved full cooperation with the NPM Team and enabled it to act without hindrance in accordance with its mandate. In addition, the NPM received in writing all the information requested from the Administration for the Enforcement of Penal Sanctions on the measures taken. See more about how lawyer’s visits to correctional institutions are organized within the NPM findings on compliance with 4th CPT Principle. 9 See Chapter 2.3. Cooperation between officials and the NPM Team. 8