Abuse, filth, and violence: the Council of Europe condemns Hungary’s prisons

Brussels – Overcrowded, dirty cells, hygienic conditions to be reviewed, air time not always guaranteed, mistreatment by prison guards: Hungary’s prisons are raising more than a few concerns at the Council of Europe, with the international organization calling on national authorities for corrective measures and giving strength to the reasons of Ilaria Salis, the MEP pending judgment in the country with the risk of a new imprisonment for the crime of assault.

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) found physical abuse by staff, including batons and punches to the head and body, especially in Tiszalök Prison. Prison guards would also order inmates to mistreat other inmates. 

The special report calls on the country’s authorities for “zero tolerance” toward all forms of mistreatment in prisons, suspension from service of those guilty of similar incidents, and full and clear documentation of the investigation. Not only that. Mention is made of the need for “good ventilation of communal showers” and ensuring they are “free of mould.” Again, the need to ensure an “acceptable state of cleanliness” of the cells at all times is stressed, starting with beds and sheets. Demands that hint at the situation recorded by the visiting delegation.

Lastly, the issue of prison population. “Since the last visit in 2018, in Hungary, it has increased by 15 per cent, from 17,252 inmates in 2018 to 19,856 inmates at the beginning of 2023,” the Council of Europe report denounces. The result: as of March 2023, the official prison capacity was 18,142, with an average occupancy rate of 109.5 per cent. Another situation for which they are calling for corrective action.