Reject the proposed legislative measures that could hinder the prosecution of torture, such as removing the crime of torture or designating prison riots as a criminal act.
2
Implement a public policy to combat torture through targeted action plans and ensure that all personnel working in detention facilities (police, educators, medical professionals, etc.) undergo specialized training on torture prevention.
3
Establish a public register to track key events during arrests, searches, or detentions by law enforcement agencies. The register should capture both the number and nature of complaints concerning presumed cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment in detention facilities, with disaggregated data by age, gender, and ethnic or racial group.
4
Introduce effective monitoring systems to ensure oversight of border control operations performed by law enforcement officers.
5
Mandate the installation of video cameras in all detention facilities and law enforcement vehicles to ensure transparency and accountability.
6
Adopt measures to reduce prison overcrowding, including the decriminalisation of select offences (e.g. drug-related offences), introducing alternative punishments and enhancing non-custodial detention options.
7
Enact legislation that effectively establishes the right to affectivity (i.e. the right to affection and emotional relationships) in prisons, in accordance with the Constitutional Court's ruling.
8
Abolish the use of solitary confinement as a form of punishment.
9
Expand the range of actors permitted to conduct independent visits to places of detention, including civil society organisations (CSOs), healthcare professionals and members of local bar associations. Increase the frequency of such visits and broaden the scope of facilities covered to include police stations and migrant detention centres.
10
Create a dedicated compensation fund for victims of torture to ensure they receive the necessary reparations and support.
Good practices
Political Commitment Against Torture
The Italian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) consists of the National Guarantor, who can delegate specific tasks to territorial Guarantors. This network strengthens the NPM's mandate and ensures comprehensive coverage, in accordance with the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT)
Ending Police Brutality & Institutional Violence
Kinetic impact projectiles are not provided to the Italian police.
Freedom from Torture in Detention
In 2023, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Italy for prison overcrowding, which violated Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In response, Italy introduced reforms, including a compensatory remedy established in 2014. Under these reforms, detainees held in poor conditions for over 15 days can reduce their sentence by one day for every ten days of violation. Those detained for fewer than 15 days or who are no longer imprisoned may receive €8 per day in compensation. In 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, 7,643 petitions were submitted to Italian courts, with 7,859 decisions made. Of these, 4,514 (57.4%) were granted.
Transparency and Access to Information
Access to information must be guaranteed in every society, both in law and practice, to ensure State transparency and accountability. It allows organisations, journalists, and interested individuals to request data on the actions of public bodies, protocols, and statistics on human rights violations. This right not only enhances public debate and civic participation in decision-making but also helps improve public policies and safeguards the dignity of individuals in State custody. Civil society organisations and human rights defenders play a key role in monitoring access to information laws and their implementation. This indicator reflects the challenges of accessing information within the country—the higher the score, the less transparent the State.
An inmate awaiting trial in the high-security wing of Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison, tested positive for COVID-19, fuelling tension in the overcrowded facility. Inmates protested, yet it remained a minor disturbance. On April 6 around 100 riot-gear-equipped officers entered the ‘sleeping rooms’, initiating severe reprisals: often defenceless prisoners were beaten with batons, kicked, punched, and humiliated. This incident has led to Europe’s largest torture trial, with 105 officers, officials, and medical staff facing charges of torture, abuse of authority, and falsifying documents. Among the victims were a 28-year-old Algerian who was found dead in solitary confinement on May 4, 2020, and a Moroccan inmate who was due to testify in September 2023 but died in July in the Pescara prison.
