A European court condemns the arrest of Sudanese migrants left naked in Italy

EuroNews - moatinoon
Yesterday, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Italy for the conditions of detention and transportation of Sudanese migrants who were left naked among other migrants.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on two cases brought against Italy by nine Sudanese citizens who arrived by sea in the summer of 2016.

Regarding the complaints of the four claimants in the first case, the court unanimously ruled that there was a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals.

The court considered that the conditions of their detention and transportation by buses caused suffering and humiliation to the individuals concerned.

The European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to pay a total of 27,000 euros in compensation for moral damages and four thousand euros for costs and expenses.

In detail, the migrants were forced to undress for a medical examination after their detention. However, the European Court of Human Rights considered that this was not convincing enough to justify leaving them naked among many other migrants without enjoying any privacy and under police surveillance.

They also had to travel on buses for long periods in extreme heat without sufficient water and food and without knowing their destination and the reason for their journey. The court pointed out that they remained under constant police surveillance in an atmosphere of violence and threats.

The court, based in Strasbourg, concluded that a violation of Article 3 also occurred regarding one of the Sudanese who claimed to have been beaten during another deportation attempt, and noted that no investigation has been conducted into this matter to date.