Preventive visits According to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter referred to as the Optional Protocol), measures aimed at eliminating torture should primarily focus on its prevention, the most important component of which is regular visits of the National Preventive Mechanism to places of detention.2 The Special Preventive Group paid 88 such visits in 2019. 1 1 4 6 22 24 30 VISITS PAID IN 2019 NUMBER OF VISITS 5 penitentiary establishments 3 psychiatric establishments 26 police divisions and 4 police departments 14 temporary placement isolators Monitoring of temporary placement center Monitoring of the flights of migrants returning from the European countries 2 nursing homes for older persons During the reporting period, members of the Special Preventive Group were able to move freely on the territory of the facilities and the monitoring has not been obstructed by the administration. However, during one of the visits, the Special Preventive Group again encountered a problem in the penitentiary system while performing the mandate of the National Preventive Mechanism under the Organic Law on the Public Defender of Georgia and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In particular, the Special Preventive Group was refused by chief doctor of Establishment No. 3 to access the register of injuries and the medical cards of the convicts. In addition, after talking to the Head of the Medical Department of the Special Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice, members of the Special Preventive Group were refused to access the medical referrals on the ground that the 2 Preamble to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. 6