Council of Europe demands zero tolerance for torture in Bosnia

The comprehensive report, originating from a 2024 inspection, highlights systemic failures across police agencies, prisons, and social care institutions. The CPT documented numerous allegations of physical abuse by police officers, particularly within special intervention units in Sarajevo and Tuzla, as well as the Gendarmerie and the Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ) of Republika Srpska. Reported abuses included slaps, kicks, and blows from batons or firearm barrels.

Critical conditions in prisons and social care

While noting a decline in the overall prison population, the committee raised alarms regarding specific facilities:

• Zenica Prison: The report calls for an end to the use of padded cells and straitjackets.
• Tuzla Prison: The remand section was found to be overcrowded with poor ventilation, vermin, and inadequate hygiene.
• Visegrad Social Care Home: Conditions in Pavilions IV and V were described as appalling, with residents found in soiled bedding or naked in dilapidated facilities. The CPT stated these conditions may amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.

The report also detailed a harrowing case of a female resident in a social care home who had been restrained to a bed for several years, prompting an urgent demand for alternative measures to prevent self-harm.

Treatment of foreign nationals

The CPT criticized the detention of foreign nationals, noting that a mother and her young children were held for three days in a prefabricated container at Sarajevo Airport without access to outdoor exercise. Furthermore, at the Lukavica Immigration Detention Centre, a foreign national with a serious mental disorder was reportedly subjected to severe physical ill-treatment by security staff and was found in critical condition in solitary confinement.

Proposed reforms

To combat these violations, the CPT recommends:

• The introduction of audio-visual recordings for all police interviews.
• Targeted training on manual control techniques.
• Independent assessments of the proportionality of the use of force.
• Specific medical screening for female remand prisoners to identify mental health needs or histories of gender-based violence.

In response, authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina pointed to ongoing developments, including the training of police officers on the prevention of ill-treatment and the operationalization of a Preventive Mechanism within the Ombudsman of BiH.