Prison guards charged with torture of Tunisian inmate in Italy

Ten prison guards in the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy have been accused of torturing and beating a Tunisian detainee in April of last year, according to Italian authorities announced on Thursday.

The local prosecutor's office stated in a statement that the guards have been suspended from duty after being charged with torturing, beating, inflicting bodily harm, and concealing the facts.

The investigation, which involved 14 suspects, was launched following a complaint filed by a detainee described as a man of Tunisian origin, regarding incidents that occurred on April 3rd.

Local media quoted the prosecutor, Gaitano Calogero Paci, as saying that the detainee was forced to lie on the ground with his head covered by a pillowcase and was "kicked and punched in the face and body."

Reports indicate that the detainee was placed in solitary confinement where he broke a sink and used a piece of it to inflict self-harm in order to receive medical attention.

The same sources mentioned that the surveillance cameras helped identify the suspects.

 

 

 

 

 

AFP