UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — United Nations torture experts will resume inspection of Ukrainian prisons after obtaining Kiev's permission, UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) said Friday.
On Wednesday, the SPT delegation suspended its visit to Ukraine running from 19 to 26 May, as it was denied access to places of detention.
"Following the suspension of our visit, we held talks with the government authorities in Kiev where we agreed to work constructively to resolve the issues of access. Overcoming this problem would allow us to resume our visit as soon as practically possible," Malcolm Evans, head of SPT four-member delegation, said in the statement.
The SPT inspection carried out in accordance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) will monitor progress in torture prevention in Ukrainian prisons since 2011 as SPT inspected Ukrainian penitentiaries for the first time.
"Under the Optional Protocol (OPCAT), the SPT is mandated to visit all States parties and can make unannounced visits to any places of detention," the statement reads.
After Kiev signed the OPCAT in September 2005, Ukraine subjected its prisons to SPT monitoring regime.
