Back Prison Police Intervention Teams in North Macedonia enhance capacities on human rights safeguards and accountability

Skopje, North Macedonia 2-3 July 2025
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Prison Police Intervention Teams in North Macedonia enhance capacities on human rights safeguards and accountability

The EU and Council of Europe are providing continuous assistance to the public authorities in North Macedonia to enhance the protection of the human rights of prisoners and detained persons, in line with European standards. Twenty-three officers from Prison Police Intervention Teams attended the capacity-building sessions held in Skopje on 2-3 July 2025, focusing on the existing domestic legal framework, as well as the European Prison Rules and best practices.

Tasked with search operations, managing high and very-high risk sentenced persons, as well as escorting operations, these teams have been functioning in prisons Idrizovo and Shtip, covering all penitentiary institutions nationwide. The sessions provided practical guidance on how to identify and report the use of means of coercion, from the perspective of legal accountability.

In addition to the presentations, participants analysed case studies and exercises, discussing specific cases which they have encountered in the past. The aim of the provided expertise is to protect the human rights of the sentenced persons, while setting effective procedures that would increase the overall security of North Macedonia’s prisons.

This activity was conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and its action “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”.

 

Horizontal Facility III

The joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative, running from 2023 until 2026.

The programme covers actions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. It enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.

The third phase of the programme is worth €41 million (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

*Ovaj naziv je bez prejudiciranja statusa, i u skladu je sa Rezolucijom Savjeta bezbjednosti Ujedinjenih nacija 1244 i mišljenjem Međunarodnog suda pravde o Deklaraciji o nezavisnosti Kosova.