EN_CPT_AR.book Page 8 Monday, October 25, 2010 5:14 PM CPT General Report 2009-2010 Periodic visits 4. The eight periodic visits were organised to Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Poland and Ukraine. The situation in a broad range of places of deprivation of liberty was examined in each of these countries (see Appendix 7). It should be noted that CPT visiting delegations are paying increased attention to social care facilities for the mentally and/or physically disabled; establishments of this kind were visited for the first time in Albania, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine, and a follow-up visit to such a facility was carried out in Ireland. Further, the treatment of persons detained under aliens legislation was a focus of many of the visits, for example to Belgium, Greece, Poland and Ukraine. Particular attention was paid to the situation of life-sentenced prisoners during the visits to Armenia and Ukraine. Ad hoc visits 5. The ten ad hoc visits carried out by the CPT during the period covered by this General Report were to the Czech Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova (including the Transnistrian region), Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey, the Channel Islands (Crown dependencies of the United Kingdom) and Kosovo.1 6. During the ad hoc visit to the Czech Republic in October 2009, the CPT’s delegation reviewed action taken to bring an end to the application of testicular pulpectomy (“surgical castration”) for the purpose of the treatment of detained sex offenders, in the light of the recommendations made on this issue after the Committee’s visit in March/April 2008. The report on the October 2009 visit and the Czech authorities’ response were made public on 21 July 2010. Government Ministers and officials met by the CPT’s delegation indicated that the Czech authorities did not intend to cease having resort to surgical castration. Moreover, it became apparent that no efforts had been made to examine the conditions under which it could be replaced by less invasive interventions, such as the administration of anti-androgens. In the visit report, the CPT reiterates its view that surgical castration in the context of the treatment of detained sex offenders amounts to degrading treatment and calls upon the Czech authorities to bring an immediate end to the application of this intervention in that context. 1. All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this General Report shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo. 8