PART 1: Overview of the Concil of Europe, the Convention and the Court relies on reports prepared by the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) and reports prepared by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) when establishing the facts of cases. For example, in cases concerning allegations of unsatisfactory prison conditions, the Court regularly relies on reports prepared by the CPT following that organisation’s visits to prisons in the territory of the respondent Contracting Party.46 Furthermore, when examining the conditions in the receiving country in expulsion cases, the Court takes note of the reports prepared by NGOs.47 46 47 See e.g. Van der Ven v. the Netherlands, no. 50901/99, 4 February 2003. See Said v. the Netherlands, no. 2345/02, 5 July 2005, in which the Court referred to Amnesty International reports on Eritrea. 33