What should the conditions in the place of detention be?
To evaluate if you are being detained according to human rights standards, you should pay attention to basic conditions such as:
- Are men and women detained separately (unless you are a family)?
- Is your room big enough for the number of people in it?
- Is your room clean?
- Is it too hot or too cold in the room?
- Do you have a bed, a mattress, a blanket and a bed linen?
- Do you have free access to a toilet and privacy?
- Do you have regular access to a shower and hygiene products?
- Do you have daylight during the day and lighting after dark?
- Are you able to go outside for a walk at least once a day?
- Have you been given food three times a day and unlimited access to drinking water?
In Slovenia, the details and standards of these conditions are explained in Rules on standards for the construction and equipment of police premises used for detention and Rules on residing in the Aliens Centre, depositing own financial resources and on the form and content of the card stating permission to remain in the Republic of Slovenia.
What human rights violation may there be?
Being held in inappropriate conditions may be very humiliating and cause physical and psychological suffering (e.g. if you are denied food or water, if you do not have a bed or if your room is very dirty). If you suffer these conditions for a long period of time or multiple of them at the same time, it may result in human rights violations. This is called inhumane or degrading treatment.
However, the mistreatment has to reach a certain threshold of severity in order to be recognized as inhumane or degarding. When assessing whether you have been held in sever enough conditions, circumstances such as the duration of the bad conditions, the physical and psychological effects, your age, gender and condition of health are to be taken into account. Read more about how to evaluate whether your rights have been violated.