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On 6 April 2017, at the Instructive Centre, the Department of Penitentiary Institutions in cooperation with Promo-LEX Association organised a training for the newly-employed penitentiary system officers. The officers were trained to use physical force and special means. It was the first training ever.

‘The competent authorities have to ensure clear and predictable policies on the use of physical force and special means, train the persons authorised to use physical force, special means and firearms and efficiently investigate the cases of the abuse of the latter’, states Vadim Vieru, Promo-LEX lawyer.

A Cooperation Agreement between these two institutions aimed at streamlining the partnership in human rights promotion was signed in November 2016. Thus, Promo-LEX Association will continue training the DPI officers at the Instructive Centre on the basis of the signed Agreement.

In this context Promo-LEX appreciates the openness of the Department of Penitentiary Institutions in its communication and cooperation with civil society. Promo-LEX and DPI had several working meetings, where they discussed, among other topics, the possibility for Promo-LEX to train DPI employees in different areas related to human rights promotion and protection. See details here and here.

We remind that in February 2016, Promo-LEX Association emphasised the need to urgently regulate the use of physical force and special means in the detention facilities.One of the reasons was to avoid abuse on the part of institution’s representatives.That was also when Promo-LEX informed about the case of Alexandru Bogdan, the detainee who filed a complaint with the Military Prosecutor’s Office. This initiated a criminal case on the basis of Article 166(4)(c) and (d) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova (torture, committed by two or more persons, with the use of special torture tools). See details here.