A newly constituted Board of Visitors for Detained Persons will visit and inspect detention centres at least once a month in new rules set up for the monitoring of detention conditions.
The board, appointed by the home affairs minister, will allow detainees to make complaints with regard to their treatment in detention centres while enjoying confidentiality. Complaints must be dealt with “without undue delay”.
The board will inspect food at the detention centres and promptly inform the appropriate authorities in cases of abuse or urgent physical or mental health matters.
The new rules will empower the board to monitor the treatment of detainees, and the state and administration of detention centres. It will also monitor the detention centres’ disciplinary system and inform the minister of its findings, with the authority to attend disciplinary hearings of detainees.
It will also be the official body responsible for a national preventive mechanism for the prevention of torture.
It can also effect surprise inspections at any time, by day or night, without prior notice to the head of the detention centre.
The regulations include an anti-conflict provision, where persons having any interest in any contract for the supply of goods or services to the detention centres cannot be members of the board.
And if board members are related by blood or family ties to any detainee up to the fourth degree, or has any professional interest with the detainee, they will have to make a declaration of the relationship, and abstain from any proceedings or voting on matters concerning the detainee.
A strict proviso is the automatic resignation of board members who absent themselves without valid reason for more than four consecutive meetings.