could wash their hands only after using the toilet, and the police officers had to grant their consent to the disinfection procedure. The detainees were placed in rooms where it was impossible to keep the social distance of 1.5 m between the people. 2 or 3 persons were placed in small spaces surrounded with bars. A covid-related medical interview and temperature checking took place only at the stage of the medical examination. It was carried out at a hospital, sometimes in a covid examination tent, before the entry to the emergency room, or during the patient’s examination inside that room. • During the ad hoc visits carried out from 23 October to 14 December 2020, some detainees stated they had no access to hand disinfectants or disinfecting soap in the bathrooms. Some persons also claimed that officers who worked at the RDPs in contact with the detainees did not wear face masks. As a rule, detainees transported for medical examinations had undergone the epidemic-related interviews and had their body temperature measured. The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture emphasizes the need to exercise caution in people-to-people contacts in police detention facilities, because of the epidemic risk. Well-organized activities are required to ensure the safety of detained persons as well as police officers. A number of recommendations regarding the epidemic and the situation in penitentiary establishments have been issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) and the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT)126. 126 https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/OPCAT/AdviceStatePartiesCoronavirusPandemic2020.pdf 57