Europe is facing a worrying regression in the treatment of persons deprived of liberty, despite the progress made in recent years.
Abuses are resurfacing, prisons are becoming overcrowded again, and control mechanisms are losing efficiency, as shown in the annual 2025 report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) of the Council of Europe, published on Wednesday.
The document, which is an annual synthesis report analyzing developments at the European level, highlights persistent and even worsening issues in European countries, from police violence and prison conditions to the treatment of migrants and patients in psychiatric hospitals.
### Abuses reappear where they had been reduced
The most serious finding of the report is the resurgence of practices that were considered to be decreasing until recently.
CPT President Alan Mitchell warns that „worrying signs have reappeared, as ill-treatment has begun to reappear in places where real progress had been made in combating it.”
At the same time, the report points out that the effectiveness of some control mechanisms has decreased, and „a sense of impunity for abusive actions persists” in several states.
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### Overcrowded prisons, a problem spiraling out of control
Another major signal is related to the constant increase in the prison population after the Covid-19 pandemic. CPT warns that „overcrowded prisons risk becoming the norm in several European prison systems.”
The consequences are multiple and serious: overcrowding „undermines the functioning of prisons and can expose inmates to inhuman and degrading treatment,” fosters violence and tensions, and affects the mental health of both inmates and staff.
The report describes extreme situations where inmates have less than 2 square meters of space and are forced to sleep on mattresses placed on the floor.
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### Inmates locked in cells for 22 hours a day
The regime in pre-trial detention is also harshly criticized.
In several countries, inmates are kept „locked in cells for more than 22 hours a day,” sometimes for periods that extend over months or even years.
CPT criticizes this „anachronistic and harmful” practice and calls for the reform of pre-trial detention systems.
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### Police violence decreases, but does not disappear
The report notes some progress in the professionalization of law enforcement, especially during interrogations.
However, abuses have not disappeared but have shifted to other moments: „Ill-treatment mainly occurs at the time of detention and during informal interrogations.”
The major issue remains the lack of sanctions, with CPT emphasizing the need for effective accountability mechanisms, including the visible identification of agents and the use of video cameras.
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### Vulnerable migrants and accusations of violent pushbacks
The situation of migrants is also problematic. The report speaks of „credible and detailed accusations” regarding so-called „pushbacks” – forced returns at the border, outside any legal framework.
These operations sometimes involve „severe physical violence,” including the use of unmuzzled dogs.
CPT warns that, still, children or mothers with babies are placed in detention centers in improper conditions.
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### Serious issues also in psychiatric hospitals
Deficiencies persist in psychiatric institutions as well.
The report mentions cases where patients are immobilized in bed for very long periods, sometimes without proper care, as well as the lack of medical staff.
There is also an excessive reliance on medication, to the detriment of psychosocial therapies.
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### „Political will is needed”
In total, CPT conducted no less than 22 visits in 20 countries in 2025, analyzing 182 detention facilities – from prisons and police stations to migrant centers and psychiatric hospitals.
The report shows that without firm measures, the identified problems may worsen. „Governments must show political will and take decisive action to eliminate overcrowding and ensure respect for human dignity,” Alan Mitchell conveyed.