Participation in sessions of Parliamentary Committees In 2016, the Mechanism participated in a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights on the existing situation in prisons and submitted its remarks and views over the issue before the members of the Committee. The Mechanism also participated in sessions of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs during the discussion of a proposed Bill with regard to amendments to the Rights of Persons Arrested and Detained (Amendment) Law, the European Arrest Warrant and the Surrender Procedures of Requested Persons between the Member States of the European Union (Amendment) Law, as well as the right of access to a lawyer and an interpreter in order to comply with relevant European Directives. Participation in educational programmes of the Police Academy In the course of 2016, the Mechanism continued its cooperation with the Cyprus Police Academy by participating in lectures held for members of the Police. In particular, the Mechanism participated on a regular basis in a recurrent training programme for those serving the Immigration Detention Centre in Menoyia, with lectures mainly on human rights and multi-cultural issues, while other lectures were held to several members of the Police on the prevention of ill-treatment of detainees. Participation in the training of newly employed guards in the Prisons Department Officers of the Mechanism participated in the training programme of a team of newly employed guards in the context of the cooperation of the Commissioner with the Prisons Department. The training included a threehour lecture on “Human Rights and the Penal System” and the participants had the opportunity to discuss matters regarding the treatment of detainees and human rights. 27