The Ombudsman in the network of National Prevention Mechanisms

 

The Deputy Ombudsman responsible for Human Rights George Nikolopoulos, participated in an event organised by the Council of Europe and the European Commission in Strasbourg, on 4-5 April 2017. The key issues of this inaugural meeting of the network of National Preventive Mechanisms against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (NPMs) were carrying out inspections of places of detention, reporting and recommendations, monitoring of their implementation and the relations with decision-makers and civil society. The event was attended by representatives of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT), the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the OSCE (OSCE/ODIHR), the National Prevention Mechanisms (NPM’Obs), as well as representatives from the Council of Europe, which are not members of the EU. Act 4228/2014 ratified in Greece the “Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) and entrusted the Greek Ombudsman with the special responsibility of the National Prevention Mechanism.