Torture committee on working visit

A delegation of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited Malta last week to investigate the treatment of irregular immigrants in Malta. It was the Committee's fifth visit to Malta. From the Council of Europe website:

The main purpose of the visit was to follow up the implementation by the Maltese authorities of the recommendations made by the CPT concerning the detention centres for foreigners visited in January 2004. The delegation also sought information concerning the enquiry ordered by the prime Minister, Mr Lawrence GONZI, into incidents at Safi Barracks in January 2005.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held meetings with Tonio BORG, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Judge Franco DE PASQUALE, who has been entrusted with the above-mentioned enquiry, and Brigadier Carmel Vassallo, Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta. In addition, it met a number of senior officials from the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, as well as from the Armed Forces.

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