EU court: Italy violates rights of inmates with overcrowded prisons, demands fixes by 2014
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A European court has ruled that Italy's woefully overcrowded prisons violate inmates' basic rights and fined the government €100,000 ($131,000). It also ordered Italy to make improvements within a year.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday on a 2009 case brought by seven inmates in two prisons who complained they had to share a 9-square-meter (10.8-squard yard) cell with two other people, giving each inmate only 3 square meters (3.6 square yards) of personal space. The men also said they didn't have regular hot water or light.
The Strasbourg-based court found that the conditions violated the European Convention on Human Rights, which forbids torture and inhumane or degrading treatment.
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Italian Justice Minister Paola Severino said she was "disheartened" but not surprised by the decision.