The first meeting of the working group for the development of standard operating procedures on medical screening upon admission to prison and identification of ill-treatment was held in Belgrade 22-23 March 2018.

Group members, comprising Council of Europe consultants and doctors from the Belgrade Special Prison Hospital and several prisons in Serbia, addressed the relevant legislation for the development of the proper documentation and reporting procedures. It focused on the standardisation of procedures and unification of documentation which currently vary from prison to prison. The group's proceedings will result on the development of clear and simple protocols that will be uniformly applied throughout the country, while facilitating the reporting of ill-treatment cases in line with Council of Europe standards.

The next meeting of the working group is planned for May 2018. Upon finalisation of the procedures and protocols, medical staff will be trained on their practical application.

This activity is implemented as part of the action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Serbia”, comprised in the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey programme. The latter is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.