The Ombudsman has published the findings of monitoring carried out in police commissariats, highlighting issues related to the treatment of persons who have been escorted and arrested, conditions of detention, and respect for their rights.
One of the concerns raised relates to the lack of identification numbers for officers carrying out arrests, as well as for the police vehicles used during operations. It has also been requested that video footage be preserved to assist ongoing investigations, and that possible cases of violence and the treatment of detained persons be documented.
Monitoring also identified problems with detention conditions, where minors were found to be held in the same premises as adults. Overcrowding was also found in some of the commissariats’ facilities.
Another important concern is the denial of minors’ right to communicate with family members, lawyers or psychologists, raising questions about the guarantee of their rights while in police premises. The Ombudsman has made clear that any violation found will be referred to the Prosecutor’s Office and other competent institutions for further review and investigation.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗱𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟰 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀:
💬Six complaints were processed for allegations of violence during the day of 20 October, all at the Security Block.
💬Video footage published from the protest raises concerns about people being dragged and struck with rubber batons.
💬At the Trauma Hospital, an arrested person was still admitted, handcuffed to the bed, while a police officer was in the room. He claimed he was beaten during his arrest and had serious damage to his eye.
💬During an inspection of the Security Block, it was found that rooms intended for one person were housing 3 to 4 people. According to the report, at least two people were sleeping on the floor.
💬The official capacity of the Security Block is 67 people, while we found 118 detainees there.
💬During monitoring we came into contact with 6 minors. However, at the Security Block, where they are held, we were unable to identify a separate room for children. The complaints processed concerned restrictions on contact with family and lawyers, as well as the absence of a psychologist during questioning.
💬We condemn every act of violence, from whomever it comes. The police have a duty to guarantee public safety and, in every intervention, to use force only when strictly necessary and in a proportionate manner.
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱:
• Immediate preservation of video footage of the protest, of the commissariats and of the Security Block, and installation of cameras in every escort area and office, with footage retained.
• Making available orders, registers and data on the escort base, duration and identity of officers.
• Mandatory identification of every officer and vehicle in every operation.
• Documentation of guarantees for the 6 minors and their separation from adults.
• Clarification on the handcuffing of the person admitted to hospital: who ordered it, the reasons and the duration.
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱:
• Measures must be taken so that the Security Block operates at its normal capacity of 67 people, and other overcrowded persons are accommodated in other premises that meet the standards.
-said, among other things, Commissioner Ahmet Prençi, head of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture.
The Ombudsman will hold periodic communications with the media and the public in line with the dynamics of the protests.