Prisons and the Pandemic, Pt. 1
Coronavirus: The European Court of Human Rights Requests Clarifications from the Italian Government on the Conditions of Detainees at Turin Prison
The StraLi Association has supported lawyer Benedetta Perego from the Turin Bar Association in filing an urgent application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concerning the health conditions of a detainee at Turin Prison, who tested positive for COVID-19 and had pre-existing health conditions. The Court has requested clarifications from the Italian government.
The application was filed on the grounds that a detainee at Turin Prison, who tested positive for COVID-19, continued to be held there despite the prison’s medical administration determining, as early as April 8, 2020, that the illness was incompatible with continued detention.
The ECtHR acknowledged the content of the application, which highlighted this situation, as well as the general spread of the infection within Turin Prison and the related inability to guarantee continuous medical assistance to all detainees. Consequently, it urged the Italian government to report on the applicant’s current health conditions and the measures implemented by the prison administration to mitigate the risk of complications.
In line with its mission, StraLi hopes that this application and the resulting Court intervention will shed light on how the health risks posed by COVID-19 have been managed in Turin Prison. Additionally, it aims to contribute to the full protection of the health of detainees in Italian correctional facilities.