The Council of Europe donated over 100 pieces of equipment and special devices to the Department of Penitentiary Institutions. The donation to the value of €33,000 is designed to strengthen the capacities of the medical services and to maintain the regime and safety in penitentiaries as regards the identification and documentation of cases of ill-treatment, torture and abuse against detainees, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the Department.

“The proper outfitting of the 17 penitentiaries with technical equipment will strengthen their capacity to efficiently document cases of bodily injury and will increase the transparency and objectivity of the process of documenting operational interventions, which are so necessary now,” stated the Department’s acting director Aureliu Suhan.

Jose-Luis Herrero, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, said the banning and prevention of torture and ill-treatment are the essence of the mandate of the Council of Europe, which offers support to the member states in the fight against such phenomena. “Though the Republic of Moldova made significant progress in fighting ill-treatment and torture, this phenomenon still exists in the country,” stated Jose-Luis Herrero.