The State of Observance of the Rights of Prisoners in Ukraine (Based on the Data Provided in the CPT Reports)

The article is devoted to the analysis of the status of observance of the rights of prisoners in Ukraine. Attention is drawn to torture, inhuman treatment, medical treatment and the conditions of detention in prison. Reports of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment have been analyzed. The effectiveness of the visits of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to the penitentiary institutions in Ukraine has been investigated.

The situation of the rights of prisoners is difficult. The analyzed periodic and extraordinary reports of the CPT track down a number of systematic violations of prisoners' rights.

The conditions of detention, medical care and treatment of prison staff violated their rights, in particular Art 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. According to this article, no one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The remarks made by the CPT in their reports do not go unheeded by the government and public monitors. The CPT's periodic and extraordinary visits to the penitentiary institutions make it possible to effectively monitor the situation of prisoners in prison in Ukraine. Moreover, they can be seen as a driving force for reform in the enforcement of prisoners' rights.