The Chancellor of Justice's statements come after four unannounced inspections last year of arrest cells in Södertälje, Norrköping, Sundsvall, and Eskilstuna, all of which had to receive detained persons who could not be accommodated in custody.
The inspections show that the arrest cells do not meet the requirements for detained persons and that they do not get to spend any longer time outside the cell.
According to the Custody Act, detained persons have the right to activities such as communal living, recreation, occupation, and one hour of daily outdoor activities. The European Council's Committee against Torture has established that detained persons should have the opportunity to spend at least eight hours per day outside the cell.
However, according to the Chancellor of Justice's inspections, the detained persons in the arrest cells have largely been alone in their cells for 23 hours a day, with a nearly "total lack" of activities.
"The conditions are completely unacceptable and there is a risk of inhuman or degrading treatment of the detained persons. I view what has emerged very seriously", writes Chancellor of Justice Per Lennerbrant.
