Country

Latvia

Detention issue

FRA research findings

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Legal instruments & key provisions

Legal instrument Key provision
Law on the Procedure for Holding under Arrest (Apcietinājumā turēšanas kārtības likums)Detainees in pre-trial detention are generally entitled to at least one hour long visit at least once a month, having up to two visitors at the same time. The actual length and frequency of visits are determined by the head of the detention facility, taking into account the principle of equal treatment of detained persons.
Sentence Execution Code of Latvia (Latvijas Sodu izpildes kodekss)Depending on the severity of the detainees' sentence, the visitation rights are more or less strict. Subject to certain exceptions, convicted detainees are generally allowed to have visits in private. There are two types of visits that may be granted: short visits and long visits. The short visits may last between one and two hours, while the long visits may last between six and 48 hours and the detainee may be visited by a maximum of two adults and two minors at the same time. The convicted detainee may be visited by relatives (parents, children, siblings, grandfather, grandmother, grandchildren or spouse) or, by decision of the head of the detention facility, another person, if they have had a common household or have a child together. The actual length of the visit is decided by the head of the detention facility. There is no restriction placed on the number of letters convicted detainees can send and receive. Prison staff shall examine the correspondence of convicted detainees for the same reasons and with the same exceptions as the correspondence of the pre-trial detainees.

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM RECOMMENDATIONS

Year Recommendation Report
2022Complaints concerning visiting arrangements and telephone communication had been received due to high costs of telephone calls, as well as the extent of the right of detained persons to free-of-charge correspondence with the state and local authorities and the international human rights institutions. Report details