CAT/C/FIN/CO/7
15.
The State party should strengthen the national preventive mechanism by
providing it with sufficient financial and human resources to enable it to carry out its
mandate independently and effectively, in accordance with the guidelines of the
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment. It should also consider the possibility of establishing the
national preventive mechanism as a separate entity under the Parliamentary
Ombudsman, with budgetary and staffing autonomy.
Detention of remand prisoners in police detention facilities
16.
While taking note of the amendments in the Prison Act and the Remand
Imprisonment Act and the submission to Parliament on 1 December 2016 of the
Government’s proposal on remand imprisonment, including that starting in 2025 at the
latest remand prisoners should no longer be held in police detention facilities, the
Committee remains concerned at the lengthy detention of remand prisoners in police
detention facilities, which do not meet the conditions required for holding such prisoners,
about the threats and ill-treatment to which they may be subjected, the lack of outdoor
exercise and the lack of access to television and of involvement in other meaningful
activities. It is also concerned that some persons continue to be held in police detention
facilities solely for being intoxicated (arts. 2, 11 and 16).
17.
The State party should:
(a)
Discontinue holding remand prisoners in police detention facilities and
allocate sufficient financial, human and infrastructural resources to the Criminal
Sanctions Agency to allow the Agency to place remand prisoners in appropriate places
of detention;
(b)
Accelerate judicial proceedings and, whenever feasible, make use of
alternatives to detention such as electronic supervision, enhanced travel bans, house
arrest and bail;
(c)
Maintain the legal guarantees and status of remand prisoners placed in
police detention facilities and introduce genuine daily outdoor exercise, allow the use
of television and involvement in other meaningful activities for remand prisoners;
(d)
Provide the Committee with information about the outcome of the
Ministry of Justice working group’s efforts concerning the transfer of responsibility
for remand prisoners held at police facilities to the administrative branch of the
Ministry;
(e)
Ensure that persons held solely for being intoxicated are placed under
the supervision of appropriately qualified staff, for example in detoxification centres.
Detention of juveniles
18.
While taking note that the small number of juveniles in detention makes it difficult
to build separate detention facilities for that purpose, the Committee is concerned that
minors are held with adult prisoners in places of detention (arts. 2, 11 and 16)
19.
The Committee recommends that the State party take steps to separate juvenile
detainees from adults in all places of detention, bearing in mind their best interests, in
accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration
of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules) and the United Nations Rules for the Protection
of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty.
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