Country

Croatia

Detention issue

FRA research findings

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Legal instruments & key provisions

Legal instrument Key provision
Criminal Procedure Act (Zakon o kaznenom postupku)In the pre-trial system, upon approval by the investigating judge or the council president and under their supervision or the supervision of a person designated by them, prisoners have the right to receive visits from their relatives, within the framework of the house rules, and at their request, to receive a visit from a physician and other individuals.
Prison Sentence Execution Act (Zakon o izvršavanju kazne zatvora)In the post-trial system, the prisoner has the right to visits from family members twice a month and on holidays, in the duration of at least one hour. Visits as mentioned in this article can be facilitated via audio-video conference with the consent of the prisoner. Other individuals may visit the prisoner with the approval of the warden. A visiting lawyer, public prosecutor, or notary public may hand over documents or papers related to the prisoner’s legal matters.

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM RECOMMENDATIONS

Year Recommendation Report
2021Although the digitalisation of the judiciary brings numerous benefits, we have observed difficulties faced by pre-trial detainees because, as a rule, they are not provided access to computers, and consequently, neither to digital records of data. This limits the preparation of their defence, which is one of the fundamental rights of the accused. Report details
2021During the COVID-19 pandemic, video visits were introduced, unfortunately, not everyone has access to them, and they are not a universal right due to technical limitations. Video visits should be more accessible; currently, priority is given mostly to prisoners with children. Another issue with visits is poor transport connections, as previously discussed, as well as a lack of waiting rooms and visitation areas. A recommendation is to introduce family visits similar to those in Slovenia, where there are special facilities where families can spend time together during visits in conditions similar to everyday life. Report details