Catherine Paulet, you have visited in Bern, Zurich, Vaud and Geneva days, prisons and other institutions of deprivation of liberty. What is your diagnosis?
I can’t tell you. So are the rules. Our work is confidential. It is the most visited state, i.e., Switzerland, to publish our report. Most States publish our reports. We have not visited in the Rest of the only prisons but also police stations, asylum centres and psychiatric hospitals. I can tell you: We are always appeared unannounced, and it has left us anywhere. We were able to talk with all people with whom we wanted to speak to, and got all the documents we asked for. The cooperation was excellent.
you Have described your observations of the representatives of the Confederation and the cantons already?
In the big lines. The final report is much more detailed. This follows in six to nine months. I would, however, stressed: We are not a Prosecutor, but analysts. We have to collect facts and to show the risks.
Nevertheless, many Swiss have trouble with the idea of tortured will, in Switzerland.
We take care not only of torture, but also to cases of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. During our visit in Switzerland, it was mainly a question of what preventive measures are there to prevent cases of systemic inhuman or degrading treatment. Switzerland has its own independent National Commission for the prevention of torture (NKVF). The reports we read. With the Commission, we have exchanged with us during our visit. The NKVF was in all the institutions we have visited, known. This is a good sign.
“The conditions in Switzerland are more complicated than elsewhere.”
you can visit ten countries per year. In Switzerland, your “Committee for the first Time”. Drag between countries comparisons?
no. Of course, there are in the prisons of international Standards, which were introduced after the release of Nelson Mandela. But these are, in part, dependent on the financial resources of individual countries and the demographic and geopolitical context. What is important is that No state is perfect.
do you Have the feeling that Switzerland takes seriously their observations and recommendations?
Switzerland is implementing proposals for improvement of international bodies normally. Even if the conditions in Switzerland are more complicated than elsewhere, because of the Federal government and the cantons share skills.
lawyers complain that the Swiss criminal justice system at the turn of still methods of coercive detention, although this is forbidden.
I can only say: We have looked at in the prisons of all processes, from arrest to dismissal. As always, on our Visit we also spoke with lawyers and representatives of NGOs. And we got in front of our visitor information to third persons. I cannot be more precise.
you have seen in the last few days, many prisons, and the like. They have also visited museums, or even skiing?
we had no time. But I have seen on our trips to the beautiful landscapes and stunning mountains. If I come back next Time in Switzerland, then hopefully for a vacation, and not prison visits.
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 07.02.2019, 17:50 PM
