Home OPCAT OPCAT Database Spain OPCAT Situation

Spain - OPCAT Situation

Updated 08.05.2013

Spain ratified the OPCAT in 2006. Three years later the Ombudsperson’s Office was designated as NPM, through a reform of the organic law 3/1081 of the Ombudsperson’s Office.

A specific NPM unit was established within the institution to perform the NPM function and an Advisory Council was due to be established as well.

The SPT member Wilder Tayler Souto is the SPT Focal Point for Spain.

Opcat status
OPCAT Ratification April 4, 2006
UNCAT Ratification October 21, 1987
SPT Member Mr Emilio Ginés Santidrian (2009-2014)
NPM Designated

Ombudsperson's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo)

NPM Type

National Human Rights Institution - NPM Unit

NPM Legal Framework

Organic Law N°1/2009 (3 November 2009), Final Disposition designating the Ombudsperson's Office as NPM.

Information
Population 40 397 842
Area (sq km) 504 782
Number of prisons 82
Prison population 75 959
Federal Structure Spain is not a federal State but has a significantly decentralised structure. Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities.
Quick links

Communication to the SPT: Official Correspondence from Spain (3 November 2008)

CAT: Concluding Observations (November 2009)

HRC: Concluding Observations (January 2009)

UPR: Report of the Working Group (May 2010)

SRT: Report (February 2004)

CPT: Visit Report (April 2013) and Spain's response

Commissioner for Human Rights (Council of Europe): Report (2005)

UPR: Report of the Working Group (June 2010)