CAT/OP/ESP/2 21. The Subcommittee recommends that the national preventive mechanism review and update the interview techniques used by its team (see CAT/OP/12/5, para. 31). The mechanism’s interview methodology should be improved to ensure that interviews with detainees are open and in-depth and take place in confidentiality, so as to ensure that cases of torture and ill-treatment and structural situations that enable or promote such behaviour are uncovered. The Subcommittee further recommends that the national preventive mechanism adopt a strategy to prevent possible reprisals against interviewees. Interpreters 22. Given the high proportion of detainees who speak languages other than Spanish and are being held in different detention centres, the national preventive mechanism needs to make sure that it has enough interpreters to be able to perform its role effectively. 23. The Subcommittee recommends that the national preventive mechanism take the necessary measures to recruit a sufficient number of interpreters, so as to be able to conduct interviews with detainees who do not speak Spanish. It further recommends that the mechanism produce materials containing general information on its mandate and on the procedure for submitting complaints of torture and illtreatment to the Ombudsman, in languages other than Spanish. Complaints 24. The Subcommittee noted that some detainees were concerned about the stage reached in processing the complaints of torture and ill-treatment that they had filed with the Ombudsman. It is precisely the failure to differentiate clearly between the mandates of the national preventive mechanism and the Ombudsman that has created confusion among detainees; this was clearly demonstrated when detainees asked staff from the mechanism about the status of their complaints. 25. The Subcommittee recommends that detainees be informed systematically of the difference between the mandate of the national preventive mechanism and that of the Ombudsman and that the mechanism take the necessary steps to improve its system for the referral of individual cases identified during its visits and the provision of information about those cases to the Ombudsman in order to facilitate the processing of complaints. Strategy for monitoring the implementation of recommendations 26. The Subcommittee notes that the national preventive mechanism draws up reports for detention centre authorities after each visit, makes recommendations and has developed a monitoring grid; furthermore, its recommendations are frequently used as the basis for decisions by the authorities. However, the Subcommittee considers that these measures do not adequately enable the mechanism to engage in constructive dialogue with senior authorities and to effectively monitor the implementation of its recommendations. 27. The Subcommittee recommends that, after each visit, the national preventive mechanism submit recommendations to the relevant authorities more rapidly and conduct follow-up visits promptly. The Subcommittee further recommends increasing the number of visits carried out to follow up on recommendations made to detention centre authorities. The Subcommittee recommends that the national preventive mechanism establish, together with the relevant authorities if possible, an effective mechanism for monitoring the implementation of its recommendations (see CAT/OP/12/5, paras. 36 and 38). 28. The Subcommittee recommends that the national preventive mechanism take the necessary steps to effectively increase its interaction with civil society and the offices of the ombudsman of the autonomous communities in the performance of its work. 29. The Subcommittee wishes to emphasize that these problems were acknowledged by the national preventive mechanism in dialogues held during the visit. 6 GE.18-14575

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