2014-2015 REPORT ON NATIONAL PREVENTION OF TORTURE Introduction On 3 December 2013, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) and designated the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office as the national preventive mechanism. garnered to possible problems and aspects which could lead to breaches of the rights of detained persons. Also, a progressive and respectful attitude is promoted, with the view to achieving the long-term goal, namely to ensure that the rights of individuals held in places of detention are not violated. Amendments to the Law on the Seimas Ombudsmen were adopted giving the mandate to the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office to implement the national prevention of torture by regularly visiting places of detention. Respective provisions of the said laws entered into force as from 20 January 2014. Therefore, 2014 was the first year when the Seimas Ombudsmen implemented the preventive mandate. The new mandate appeared to be a visit-intensive task. In a small country Lithuania, where the population does not reach 3 million, there are around 450 places of detention. Visits are planned with due regard to the number of institutions of different nature (social care and psychiatric institutions, police custody facilities and premises of temporary detention, incarceration institutions, children’s socialisation centres, institutions of detention and accommodation of foreigners). In two years over 85 visits were carried out. It should be noted that even though the OPCAT became active and the implementation of the national prevention of torture under the protocol started only from January 2014, monitoring of the situation of human rights in places of detention commenced already back in 2011. During years of 2011-2013, 14 inspections of places of detention were carried out. This Report gives a presentation on preventive work for the first biennium of the preventive mandate, 2014 and 2015. It overviews the structure of the national preventive mechanism, its powers, the methodology of inspections of places of detention, the outline of the investigations carried out, the most significant systemic problems identified, recommendations provided, cooperation between the Seimas Ombudsmen and Lithuanian as well as international institutions and NGOs, and other activities. These investigations convinced us that preventive activities against torture and other violations of human rights are necessary and create positive results, including the attention of institutions 3