Country

Latvia

Detention issue

FRA research findings

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Legal instruments & key provisions

Legal instrument Key provision
Cabinet of Ministers regulations No 276 of 2 June 2015 “Procedures for the Implementation of Health Care for Detained and Sentenced Persons” (Ministru kabineta 2005. gada 2. jūnija noteikumi Nr. 276 ʺApcietināto un notiesāto personu veselības aprūpes īstenošanas kārtībaʺ)Detainees shall receive free of charge: (1) the primary health care (apart from the planned dental care) provided by the medical staff of the detention facility; (2) the emergency dental care, if the dental problems may endanger detainee’s health or life and requires urgent solution; (3) the secondary health care provided by the medical staff of the detention facility or by the Prison Hospital. If a detainee requires health care services which cannot be provided at the detention facility or at the Prison Hospital, then, based on medical indications, these services may be provided in regular medical facilities.
Law on the Procedure for Holding under Arrest (Apcietinājumā turēšanas kārtības likums)After admission to a pre-trial detention facility, detainees shall undergo medical examination. Similarly, convicted detainees shall undergo medical examination upon admission to detention facilities.

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM RECOMMENDATIONS

Year Recommendation Report
2023It was not possible to conclude from the medical records whether the convicted persons always had the opportunity to receive medical advice if needed. The available medical records were too formal, sometimes inaccurate, some information was missing, all of which shows a high likelihood of a very formal approach by the doctors. Given that there were no medical personnel on site on Sundays, it was noted that dispensing of medicine a day before created a risk that detainees may eventually accumulate certain medication in order to get intoxicated, overdose or sell them to other detainees. Checking the medication logbook, it appeared that detainees were prescribed tranquillizers, such as alprazolam, phenazepam, bromazepam, clonazepam, diazepam and clozapine, which is an antipsychotic medication. In several cases, the convicts had received such medication for prolonged periods. In some cases, there were no medical assessment or objective data [included in the documentation], to justify why the medication had been prescribed for a long-term use. The visit provided additional confirmation on the existence of hierarchy of detainees and its self-management system. Report details