by one of the detainees that he had been tortured by police officers in a police car, and then ill-treated
by employees of the sobering-up station at the Centre for Intoxicated People in Warsaw 365. At the time
of the meeting with the NMPT representatives, the detainee had numerous traces of injuries on his body
(including his face, throat area, arms and legs). His hygienic and mental condition was very bad. The
man was shaken and cried during the interview.
In view of the allegations raised by the detainee, on 28 October 2020 the NMPT Director
requested in writing the Director of the Centre for Intoxicated People in Warsaw to provide copies of
the documents on the detainee’s delivery and stay in the sobering-up station and the relevant surveillance
camera recordings366.
The analysis of the CCTV footage showed that the detainee told the staff of the sobering-up
station that he had been tortured by police officers. He also requested an examination by a doctor, and
access to a lawyer.
The medical examination was extremely superficial. It lasted 3.5 minutes and consisted in the
removal of the man’s face mask to check his face. No full-body examination or comprehensive health
assessment was conducted. During the examination, the man was accompanied by police officers and
had his hands handcuffed behind his back. After the "examination", visible abrasions of the face skin
were marked on the body chart by an employee of the sobering up station. However, the red spots on
the man’s neck, visible on the CCTV footage, were not marked.
The detainee was not allowed to contact his lawyer. The staff told him he had no right to contact
a lawyer because he was intoxicated.
After being placed in the sobering-up room, the man stood by the door for 27 minutes, hitting it
with his fist and waiting for the facility employee to come. Faced with no response, the man removed
his trousers, tied his trouser leg around his neck, hit the door several more times, and then hid in an
unmonitored corner of the room. After approximately two minutes, seven staff members appeared in the
room. The detainee turned towards them, after which he was overpowered and strapped into a restraint
belt. The man remained immobilised for 2 hours. During this time he urinated.
The NMPT's doubts concerned the legality of the man’s immobilisation. The recording
registered by the CCTV system showed there was no hook or other element in the room where the man
could hang himself, and it was certain he just tried to attract the staff's attention, after knocking on the
door for 27 minutes367.
365
Ibid, para. 6.2.1. Detention of a man brought to a sobering-up station.
See: NMPT letter of 28 October 2020, KMP.570.11.2020.MZ; Reply of the facility’s Director, dated 3
November 2020, SDS.43.8.4281.2020.JKO.
367
A detailed description of the situation, based on the analysis of the CCTV recordings and documentation can
be found in the Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on ad hoc visits to the rooms for
366
138
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