The Italian Ministry of Justice has reported that the anarchist prisoner Alfredo Cospito, on hunger strike since October in protest against the conditions of his imprisonment under the 41bis regime, has been transferred this Saturday from the Opera Prison to the San Paolo Hospital in Milan.
Cospito «is in one of the wards reserved for prisoners subjected to the 41bis regime,» the Ministry has informed, as reported by the Italian press. «The health of the prisoners is the absolute priority,» it has indicated after reporting «potentially fatal» arrhythmias.
«The Department of Prison Administration has ordered the transfer on the recommendation of doctors as a precautionary measure,» the Ministry has added. The last electrocardiogram showed «important alterations» and «the situation is serious».
Cospito began a hunger strike in October to protest against the 41bis prison regime that has been echoed in demonstrations in Italy and actions against Italian diplomatic headquarters in cities such as Berlin or Barcelona.
On Saturday there have been new mobilizations and in Milan there have been riots between demonstrators and agents of the Police, Carabinieri and Finance Guard. Eleven demonstrators were arrested.
The 41bis regime of the Prison Administration Law provides for harsh conditions of imprisonment with the declared aim of «defeating mafias and terrorism» in the words of the current Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani.
It includes total isolation of the prisoner with the outside world and other prisoners suspected of criminal activities, both in person and by correspondence; a veto on outside visits; cultural, recreational or sporting activities; sending money; voting and standing for election and family visits restricted to only one a month and only through a partition.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2007 that the 41bis regime violates two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
