Deaths in jail bring Romanian prison conditions back into the spotlight

Three inmates lost their lives and two were seriously injured after a fire at the Satu Mare prison in north-western Romania. The fire at Satu Mare prison began when detainees burned their mattresses to protest against the restrictions imposed by the prison authorities amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The deaths and injuries brought renewed attention to…

Inside Romania’s prisons: Masked intervention groups, overcrowding and violence

Romania’s prison conditions are of great concern to the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), as detailed by their report.  The conditions discovered by the CPT team fall far below expected European standards for the treatment of prisoners and include attacks by masked intervention…