Tali v. Estonia
Country: EstoniaYear: 2014
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 66393/10; [2014] ECHR 294
Health Topics: Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
Mr. Tali, an Estonian sentenced to life in prison, claimed he was subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to Article 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“Convention”). On July 3 2009, Tali was told he would be taken to a punishment cell. The guards used defensive equipment …Read more
Valetov v. Kazakhstan
Country: KazakhstanYear: 2014
Court: United Nations Human Rights Committee
Citation: Communication No. 2104/2011
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Prisons, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to due process/fair trial
Nikolai Valetov, a Russian national, was arrested and charged in June 2001 with murder by Kyrgyzstan authorities while living in Kyrgyzstan. In addition to maintaining that he was framed for this crime by the police, Valetov further claimed that he was tortured by the police so severely while in pre-trial detention that he was permanently …Read more
Aswat v. United Kingdom
Country: United KingdomYear: 2013
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 17299/12
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
The applicant was a man suffering from severe paranoid schizophrenia. He was indicted in the United State as a co-conspirator in an effort to establish a jihad training camp in Oregon. At the time of trial, the applicant was detained in a hospital in the UK and was subject to an extradition request made by …Read more
Inglis v. British Columbia (Minister of Public Safety)
Country: CanadaYear: 2013
Court: British Columbia Supreme Court
Citation: 2013 BCSC 2309
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Poverty, Prisons, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to family life, Right to liberty and security of person
The plaintiffs brought a case before the British Columbia Supreme Court following the 2006-2007 decision by the Ministry of Public Safety to cancel the Mother Baby Program at the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women, a women’s prison. This program had allowed incarcerated mothers and their babies to live at the institution together, subject to the …Read more
Lohé Issa Konaté v. Burkina Faso
Country: Burkina FasoYear: 2013
Court: African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (Cour Africaine des droits de l’homme et des peoples)
Citation: Application No. 004/2013
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom of expression, Right to health
Lohé Issa Konaté alleged that his criminal conviction in Burkina Faso for libel was a violation of his right to freedom of expression, contrary to Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (“Charter”) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“ICCPR”). At the High Court, Konaté …Read more
Benali v Libya
Country: LibyaYear: 2012
Court: United Nations Human Rights Committee
Citation: Communication No. 1805/2008
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to bodily integrity, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
On 9 August 1995, B, a Libyan citizen, was arrested by the Libyan Internal Security Agency and held in secret detention at Abu Slim prison. In September 2000, B’s relatives were informed that B was alive and allowed to visit him in prison. During those visits, B told his relatives he had been regularly tortured …Read more
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health v. Ontario
Country: CanadaYear: 2012
Court: Ontario Court of Appeal
Citation: 2012 ONCA 342
Health Topics: Hospitals, Informed consent, Mental health, Prisons
Human Rights: Right to liberty and security of person
The Centre for Addition and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Mental Health Centre Penetanguichene (MHCP)appealed an order by the Mental Disorder Court to send a person accused of sexual assault to a hospital for psychiatric treatment. The judge knew that beds for treatment would not be available until six days later. The appeal was on …Read more
Dudley Lee v. Minister for Correctional Services
Country: South AfricaYear: 2012
Court: Constitutional Court
Citation: [2012] ZACC 30
Health Topics: Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Prisons
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
While incarcerated in congested prison with poor hygienic conditions, Dudley Lee was infected with tuberculosis (TB). The responsible prison authorities were aware of the risk of the inmates’ contracting TB, but did not have a comprehensive system in place to reduce the risk of infection. Rather, the prison authorities relied on a system of inmates …Read more
Eremiášová and Pechová v. The Czech Republic
Country: Czech RepublicYear: 2012
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 23944/04
Health Topics: Prisons
Human Rights: Right to life
V.P., the partner of the first applicant and son of the second applicant, was arrested for suspected burglary. At the Police Department he was charged with illegal entry into a house and theft. According to official reports, after V.P. signed the notice of charges, he asked to use the toilet. He was accompanied to the …Read more
Goginashvili v. Georgia
Country: GeorgiaYear: 2012
Court: European Court of Human Rights
Citation: Application No. 47729/08
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to health
Goginashvili, a prisoner, sued the government of Georgia, alleging that the prison authority violated his right to health care due to its failure to protect his health and well-being in prison, contrary to its obligation under Article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“Convention”). Article 3 prohibits …Read more