Italians detained in Hungary: Budapest defends its prison

The Hungarian government defended its prison system on Wednesday 31 January, calling it “Complies with EU standards”, after the outcry over the case of an Italian woman for attempting to attack neo-Nazis in Budapest. Images of Ilaria Sallis, 39, with her hands bound and legs shackled as she appeared in court on Monday, made the front pages of Italy’s major newspapers on Tuesday and sparked protests in Rome.

“Sure, she was restrained in the courtroom, and yes, she spent 11 months in detention. But can we talk about the conditions?

“inhuman”? not really”X (ex-Twitter) responded to Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs, confirming that he “Compliant with EU Standards”. “The crimes in question are serious (…) and action is appropriate”he added.

The incident sparked a reaction at the highest levels of state: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni telephoned her counterpart Viktor Orbán, and the Hungarian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain the treatment. “inappropriate”.

cells infected with mice

Roberto Sallis, the inmate’s father, who has been campaigning for months for the Italian government to intervene, visited the prison on Wednesday. According to him, his daughter was treated in court “like an animal” and passes through conditions “inhuman” Her cell is infested with rats in a high-security unit where she lacks food and hygiene products.

There are such allegations “pure lie”The prison administration reacted after organizing for the press a visit to the room where the Italian national is imprisoned along with seven others. “Of course Jail does not provide the services of a multi star hotel” But detainees receive three meals a day and proper medical care, official Mihaly Kovacs said, quoted by the MTI agency.

Imprisonment up to 11 years

Ilaria Celis, a teacher in Monza near Milan, was arrested in February 2023 following a demonstration against the mobilization of neo-Nazis in Budapest. She is accused of attempted assault and being part of a left-wing organization, with her next hearing scheduled for May 24. She denies the charges, which could result in up to 11 years in prison.

“Hungary has been singled out many times” At national and European level “for their poor prison conditions”

, György Magyar, Ilaria Salis’ lawyer, reminded AFP on Tuesday. It is also common for detainees to be brought to court in chains. According to a recent Eurostat report, the Central European country has the highest number of prisoners in the European Union (EU), along with Poland: 191 per 100,000 inhabitants compared to an average of 106.