including riot police (OMON) and KGB personnel, comply with this obligation when on duty. In this connection, the Committee notes with concern the numerous allegations about the lack of proper identification of the officers who carried out arrests in plain clothes, in particular during peaceful demonstrations in March 2017 (arts. 2, 12 and 13). 18. The State party should strengthen its compliance with legislation that requires all law enforcement officers on duty, including riot police (OMON) and the KGB personnel, to wear visible identification, to ensure individual accountability and protection against acts of torture and ill-treatment. In addition, it should promptly and effectively investigate, and as appropriate, punish law enforcement officers alleged to act in breach of the Convention. Psychiatric hospitalisation 19. The Committee is concerned at reports that involuntary hospitalisation and medical treatment in a psychiatric hospital is at times employed for non-medical reasons, such as a retaliatory measure, which was also noted by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus in his recent report (A/HRC/35/40, para. 92). The Committee also deeply regrets the lack of information in respect of any effective investigation into allegations of Igor Postnov that he had been forced to undergo a psychiatric treatment in retaliation for his criticism of the Government’s policy and health care. The Committee remains concerned that an independent investigation into his allegations of involuntary treatment has not been carried out by an independent investigative body separate from the Executive’s control. The Committee is equally concerned at the allegations of Alexander Lapitski that he had been forced by the judiciary to undergo medical treatment in a psychiatric hospital and was found guilty by a court in Minsk of having committed ‘socially dangerous acts’ of insulting the President of Belarus and two judges. The Committee is further concerned at the lack of inspection and monitoring of psychiatric hospitals to corroborate any similar complaints in this regard (arts. 2, 1, 12, 14 and 16). 20. The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Ensure that psychiatric hospitalisation is not misused to detain persons for non-medical reasons and that hospitalization for medical reasons is decided only upon the advice of independent psychiatric experts and that such decisions can be appealed; (b) Ensure that the Mental Health Care Act provides for effective legal safeguards concerning involuntary hospitalization as well as involuntary psychiatric and medical treatment in psychiatric institutions and that they are enforced in practice; (c) Establish an independent complaints mechanism and investigate effectively, promptly and impartially all complaints of torture and ill-treatment of all persons hospitalized in psychiatric institutions, including the allegations of Igor Postnov and Alexander Lapitski, and, as appropriate, bring those responsible to justice and provide any victims with remedies and redress; (d) Ensure an independent body has access to make regular preventive monitoring visits to psychiatric institutions with a particular focus on monitoring the use of involuntary placement and treatment. Conditions of detention 21. While welcoming the State party’s initiatives to improve conditions of penitentiary facilities by reducing the level of overcrowding and introducing alternative preventive measures, the Committee is concerned that the incarceration rate remains high (290 detainees per 100,000 people). While noting the measures to reduce juvenile confinement and to close Vitebsk no.1 re-educational camp, to renovate pre-trial units and prisons, and to improve medical treatment of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients, the Committee remains deeply concerned at continuing reports of deplorable conditions of places of deprivation of liberty. These include IVS (police isolators for temporary detention), notwithstanding the State party’s measures to close temporary police detention centres in Zelva, Novogrudok and 5