DETENTION CONDITIONS SLAMMED

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) is unhappy with conditions at the Guantanamo detention centre, where there were 30 suicide attempts in the first six months of 2009. It was also noted that prisoners are in a "worse mental condition now" probably owing to overuse of solitary confinement:

Significant periods of isolation induce disorientation in time, memory disturbance, and deterioration in communication skills, to name but three serious effects. Further, symptoms of anxiety disorder are commonly seen, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression develop, and there is agitation, self harm and a risk of suicide.

My mistake, those remarks actually refer to Sweden's prisons and remand centres.