The Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) paid its fourth visit to Slovenia from 31 January to 6 February 2012. The CPT visited several police stations, three prisons and the psychiatric ward of the Maribor University Medical Centre. It then prepared a report on the findings of the visit. The report includes recommendations for improvements, comments and requests for additional information.

The CPT requested that the Slovenian authorities, taking account of Article 10 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, send a reply to the report within six months of its receipt, including the list of all measures adopted for the implementation of the recommendations given and a response to the comments and requests for information.

The time limit for the reply expired on 19 January 2013. According to information available to us, the competent authorities have not yet sent the requested reply to the CPT. This is worrying, as it does not reflect well on Slovenia's cooperation in the implementation of the Convention and in no way improves the reputation of our country, which promotes the protection and promotion of human rights as an important segment of its foreign policy.

The Human Rights Ombudsman, Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik, calls upon all competent state authorities, including the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, to make every effort to ensure that the CPT receives the reply as soon as possible, and also that the CPT's report and the Government's response to it become available to the public.