b. Development of Uniform Information Collection Tools. To systemise and conform the various methods and current tools for the monitoring of detention facilities by a number of national human rights organizations, it was decided to develop uniform tools to be possibly broadly used both by government authorities in their work and for public scrutiny. Two working meetings with the monitoring observers to develop these tools took place. The first one was held on 8 and 9 July 2011 in which questionnaires were prepared for various categories of respondents, and monitoring sheets for TDFs’ premises and territories. The second meeting held on 18 and 19 August 2011 resulted in the finalisation of tools taking into account the experience of pilot visits and the findings at the first stage of monitoring. c. Collection, analysis and summarisation of the monitoring findings. Development of recommendations on improving the human rights situation at TDFs. Semi-structured interviews with staff of IAB, TDF administration and personnel, detainees, and attorneys served as the major information collection method in the course of the monitoring. A random sampling technique was used along with strict adherence to the principle of a person’s voluntary consent to research. In some cases, the researchers managed to interview all detainees held at TDFs at the time of the visits. To obtain additional information, photographing was employed. Unfortunately, it appeared to be impossible to ensure confidentiality during all interviews with the detainees. For instance, the observers asked law enforcement agencies to be granted an opportunity to hold private conversations. However, the law enforcement members would be rather close to the observers and the interviewees. This naturally affected the impartiality of the answers and the quality of interviews. The monitoring also covered analysis of international documents and in-country legislation as well as regulations, instructions, and other internal regulatory acts of the institutions. The analysis results are set out in respective chapters of this Report. It must be noted that the KR Ombudsman rendered considerable assistance in implementing this project component. He issued letters of authorisation to members of the monitoring teams that enabled them to visit detention facilities, pre-trial detention facilities, prisons, compulsory treatment hospitals, correctional education institutions, and mental hospitals at any time, as well as to hold conversations with the detainees/patients in private, get information about detention conditions, and check documents confirming that these persons were lawfully detained in the above mentioned facilities. This was of great help in terms of assuring access of the observers to the TDFs. The following was accomplished as part of the second project component on responding to communications about torture and cruel treatment: – Detection and effective documenting of cases of torture and ill-treatment; – Rendering of legal aid and advice to victims of torture and ill-treatment, including providing an attorney and representations of interests in national courts; – Addressing international agencies for protection of torture victims. The third project component on rehabilitation of survivors of torture and ill-treatment included rendering medical and psychological aid to torture victims by Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims specialists. In the course of the project, great attention was paid to raising awareness of detainees and the general public in the area of protection against torture and ill-treatment. For these purposes, an Information Sheet was developed which contained contact information of the KR Ombudsman’s Office and its regional representative offices as well as nongovernmental organizations that joined the Memorandum of Cooperation, where any person who has become a victim of torture or ill-treatment or anyone on behalf of that person who became aware of any case of physical force, torture, beatings, or any other form of pressure (threatening, intimidation, or insult) can receive assistance. The Information Sheets were disseminated among detainees. Since a great volume of materials were studied in the course of the research, which covered all regions of the country, it can be declared that the findings of the research conducted is reliable and in full compliance with generally accepted international monitoring standards. 14