CAT/OP/ITA/1/Add.1 National Authority is established within the Ministry of Justice, uses the Ministry’s resources but it is not included in its hierarchical structure and cannot be considered as one of its branches, thus taking the form of a fully independent body. Similar independence is established in relation to other authorities concerned by its action. 105. In line with OPCAT Article 17 et seq. and, in particular with its Article 20, the Code (Article 3) highlights the possibility of access to places and documentation without restrictions (except for the need to obtain the consent of the person deprived of his/her liberty, in order to examine documents contained in his/her personal file, in particular health documents). Moreover, the Code (Article 4) lays down the guiding principles of the Authority and, first of all, the complete independence of conduct in compliance with OPCAT principles, with particular reference to Article 18, which establishes the independence of its personnel, both at functional and financial levels (in the sense that States must make available to the Authority the “necessary resources for their operation”). 106. Article 4 of the Code also establishes the need to protect the confidential information obtained, the obligation of secrecy about what has been acquired during the institutional visits and, in general, in the performance of the other tasks of the Authority, the obligation of confidentiality about the outcome of the visits, until it is published and the obligation to timely transmit any notitia criminis committed against persons deprived of their liberty to the judicial authorities. 107. Article 4, para.2, provides for protection from possible reprisals: in fact, the Authority is actively committed to ensuring that no one (public authorities or public officials) orders, applies, permits or tolerates any sanction against any person or organization for having communicated any true or false information to the Authority and, more generally, that no kind of prejudice is suffered (to be considered also with regard to Para. 115 of the CPT report under reference). 108. In conclusion, the different types of legislation adopted over the last year and subsequent to the visit of the Subcommittee delegation, are considered to have remedied the unclear aspects of the original law and thus overcoming the reservations that had been expressed in relation to the initial text. In addition, the National Authority has already started a large scale activity in the various fields of deprivation of liberty, in a totally independent and remarkably effective way considering its recent launch (Please find below the list of the monitoring activities already carried out; and the publication of the first reports can be found on the National Authority website at: www.garantenpl.it). 109. Moreover, the logistical, financial and functional structures, currently available, make the action taken efficient (and effective). Finally, it should be noted that by a public call for applications [interpello pubblico], the National Authority is selecting staff to complete the organizational chart set by legislation and by September the Office will have the number of staff members tripled compared to the number currently available. III. List of visits conducted by the National Preventive Mechanism (as of July 31, 2016) (a) Reception facilities and monitoring of repatriations-related operations: 7 March 2016: Hotspot in Milo-Trapani; 13 April 2016: monitoring of disembarkation and pre-identification at Reggio Calabria harbour; 19 May 2016: monitoring a Ministry of Interior charter flight repatriating Tunisian citizens on the route Lampedusa Island – Palermo – Hammamet; 26 May 2016: monitoring at Fiumicino airport (Rome) repatriation procedures concerning a Peruvian citizen expelled by the Prefet in Milan, in accordance with Art.13, para.2, lett. a-b, Legislative Decree No. 286/98; 26 May 2016: visit to the temporary security rooms of the State Police at Fiumicino airport (Rome) for those irregular 20

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