Prisoners

Australian inmate fights Vegemite ban, says denial violates his culture

A Victorian prisoner has taken the state to court over a long-standing Vegemite ban, arguing that stopping inmates from having the spread violates his cultural rights

Allahabad HC orders instant prisoner release through electronic bail system

The Allahabad High Court has issued directions for the direct electronic transmission of bail orders and immediate release of prisoners through the Bail Order Management System (BOMS) so that no one remains in jail after being granted bail. The order was passed by Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal while granting bail to an accused in a kidnapping case. The high court observed, "The personal liberty of a person is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Therefore, a person cannot be deprived of their liberty, except in accordance with the procedure established by law. "Once a Court grants bail to an undertrial or convict, then it is the right of that undertrial or convict to know about the bail order immediately so that he/she does not remain confined in jail because of the laxity on the part of the judicial system or jail administration. The Apex Court also showed its concern about the liberty of a man who has been granted bail in the case of Policy Strateg

France's ex-president Sarkozy to begin serving 5-yr prison sentence today

Nicolas Sarkozy will become the first former French president in living memory to be imprisoned when he is expected to begin a five-year sentence on Tuesday in Paris' La Sant prison. Convicted of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya, Sarkozy maintains his innocence. Regardless, he will be admitted to serve his time in a prison that has held some of the most high-profile inmates since the 19th century. They include Capt Alfred Dreyfus, wrongly convicted of treason because he was Jewish, and the Venezuelan militant known as Carlos the Jackal, who carried out several attacks on French soil. Sarkozy told Le Figaro newspaper that he expects to be held in solitary confinement, where he would be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. Another possibility is that he is held in the prison's section for vulnerable" inmates, colloquially known as the VIP section. Former La Sant inmates described their experiences and what

Iran, France near prisoner swap deal including woman held for posts on Gaza

Iran's foreign minister says Iran and France are close to agreeing to an exchange of prisoners, including the release of an Iranian woman arrested in France over her online posts related to the war in Gaza. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state TV late on Thursday that Mahdieh Esfandiari is expected to be released as part of a swap that he hoped would happen in the coming days. Esfandiari, a translator living in the French city of Lyon since 2018, was arrested in February on a terror-related charge for alleged posts on Telegram about the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, according to French media reports. Araghchi did not elaborate on any French prisoners who might be released, but France has long sought the release of two French citizens held in Iran on suspicion of espionage. Ccile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been detained since May 2022. French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot declined on Friday to comment on Araghchi's remarks other

5 juveniles killed in Nepal prison clash as over 7,000 inmates escape

At least five juvenile inmates died during a clash with security personnel at a jail in western Nepal, while more than 7,000 prisoners escaped from different jails across the country during the violent anti-government protests, according to media reports. The massive anti-government demonstrations across Nepal that forced Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign on Tuesday led to a serious law and order situation across districts, prompting the Nepal Army on Wednesday to impose nationwide restrictive orders followed by a curfew. Inmates took advantage of the protests and tried to escape from jails, resulting in clashes across several prison facilities since Tuesday. "Five juvenile inmates died in a clash with security personnel at the Naubasta Correctional Home in Naubasta Regional Jail located in Baijnath Rural Municipality-3 of Banke on Tuesday night, The Rising Nepal newspaper said. The five juvenile inmates were killed and four were seriously injured when police opened fire duri

The Evin Prison Bakers Club: Prison memoir details hard-baked resistance

The book blends memoir, recipes, and resistance, portraying Iranian women prisoners who turn baking into an act of defiance and solidarity

What to know about cashless bail after Trump's order citing safety risks

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday threatening to withhold or revoke federal funding to local and state governments that offer cashless bail, arguing that it is a threat to public safety. No cash. Come back in a couple of months, we'll give you a trial. You never see the person again," he said, moments before signing the order. Attorney General Pam Bondi must submit a list of jurisdictions that have substantially eliminated cash bail as a potential condition of pretrial release from custody for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety and order within 30 days, as stipulated in the order. Proponents of eliminating cash bail describe it as a penalty on poverty, suggesting that the wealthy can pay their way out of jail to await trial while those with fewer financial resources have to sit it out behind bars. Critics of the cashless route have argued that bail is a time-honoured way to ensure defendants released from jail show up for court proceedings. The

Iran transfers inmates to Evin prison, which Israel targeted in June

Iranian state media reported that authorities on Friday returned a group of inmates to Evin prison, which Israel targeted during an airstrike in June. A report by the official IRNA news agency said that authorities returned the first group of prisoners to Evin from another correction facility in Tehran, suggesting that further transfers will continue in the coming days. The report didn't say how many prisoners were transferred or how many others are expected to be transferred to the jail. It said that new facilities were constructed at the site of prison to accommodate the inmates, adding that five prisoners resisted wearing handcuffs required by police to transfer them. The report said they were eventually transferred without any conflict and in peace. It didn't elaborate. But Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour the wife of prominent activist Mostafa Tajzadeh said on social media that law enforcement officers beat her husband and six other prisoners to force them to wear handcuffs. The

Russia, Ukraine start prisoner swap after recriminations after peace talks

The first groups of prisoners under the age of 25 years were transferred by both sides, and the returning Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said

10 escape New Orleans jail through hole in cell wall while guard gets food

Ten men broke out of a New Orleans jail Friday in an audacious overnight escape by fleeing through a hole behind a toilet and scaling a wall while the lone guard assigned to their cell pod was away getting food, authorities said. Eight of the escapees, including suspects charged with murder, remain on the lam following the breakout that the local sheriff says may have been aided by members within the department. Surveillance footage, shared with media during a news conference, showed the escapees sprinting out of the facility some wearing orange clothing and others in white. They scaled a fence, using blankets to avoid being cut by barbed wire, and then some could be seen sprinting across the nearby interstate. A photograph obtained by The Associated Press from law enforcement shows the opening behind a toilet in a cell that the men escaped through. Above the hole are scrawled messages that include To Easy LoL with an arrow pointing at the gap. The absence of the 10 men, who also

Myanmar releases around 4,900 prisoners, including 22 political detainees

The head of Myanmar's military government granted amnesty to around 4,900 prisoners to mark the country's traditional new year, state-run media reported Thursday, and an independent watchdog said they included at least 22 political detainees. At least 19 buses with prisoners aboard left Yangon's Insein prison and were welcomed outside the gate by excited family members and friends who had been waiting since early morning. The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar, an independent watchdog group that records violations of human rights in Myanmar's prisons, said in a statement that by its initial count, 22 political prisoners had been freed. Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the ruling military council, pardoned 4,893 prisoners, MRTV reported. Thirteen foreigners will also be released and deported from Myanmar, it said in a separate statement. Other prisoners received reduced sentences, except for those convicted of serious charges such as murder and rape, or those jailed on char

Parl panel flags 'low success rate' in bringing back Indian prisoners

Eight Indian prisoners were transferred from foreign countries to India between 2023 and February 13 this year, according to data shared in a report by a Parliamentary panel. It asserted that the "low success rate" in bringing back Indian prisoners "calls for an assessment" of the efforts taken for it. Citing information from the Ministry of Externa Affairs (MEA), the report said that at present, 10,152 Indian prisoners (in 86 countries) including under-trials are lodged in foreign prisons. The report of the Committee of External Affairs, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, on 'Indian Diaspora Overseas including NRIs, PIOs, OCIs and Migrant Workers: All Aspects of their Conditions and Welfare, including the Status of the Emigration Bill' was presented in Parliament on Tuesday. In its report, the panel also shared data on foreign prisoners transferred from India to their native countries over the same period, whose cumulative number stood at three. The MEA has informed the Committee

Israel moves Gaza detainees to new camps, but abuses persist, say prisoners

Under pressure from Israel's top court to improve conditions at a facility notorious for mistreating Palestinians seized in Gaza, the military transferred hundreds of detainees to newly opened camps. But abuses at these camps were just as bad, according to Israeli human rights organizations that interviewed dozens of current and former detainees and are now asking the same court to force the military to fix the problem once and for all. What the detainees' testimonies show, rights groups say, is that instead of correcting alleged abuses against Palestinians held without charge or trial including beatings, excessive handcuffing, and poor diet and health care -- Israel's military just shifted where they take place. What we've seen is the erosion of the basic standards for humane detention, said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked, one of the rights groups petitioning the Israeli government. Asked for a response, the military said it complies with international law and completel

Govt gets SC notice on plea asking better facilities for disabled prisoners

The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking adequate facilities for disabled prisoners in jails, and implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, in prisons across the country. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Union of India and others on a plea filed by activist Sathyan Naravoor. "Issue notice, returnable within four weeks," it said. Citing instances of professor G N Saibaba and activist Stan Swamy to highlight the "severe neglect" of disabled prisoners, the plea said necessary provisions should be incorporated in the existing Prisons Act to address the special needs of disabled inmates. Former Delhi University professor Saibaba died on October 12 last year at a state-run hospital in Hyderabad due to health-related complications, seven months after he was acquitted in a case of alleged links with Maoists after 10 years in prison. Swamy, arrested in the Bhima-Koregaon case, died at Mumbai's

Russian crypto expert Alexander Vinnik returns to Moscow in prisoner swap

Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the United States, returned to Russia on Thursday after being freed in a swap that saw Moscow release American Marc Fogel, Russian news agencies reported. Alexander Vinnik arrived in Moscow on a flight from Turkey, where he was flown after being released from custody in California, Russia's state Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies reported, citing Russian aviation officials and his lawyer. Vinnik, who operated cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the US on cryptocurrency fraud charges and was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for US President Donald Trump, left Russia with Fogel earlier in the week and brought him to the White House, where Trump greeted him on Tuesday. Fogel, an American history teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia

MP tops in providing assistance to poor prisoners for bail, fines: CM Yadav

Under the initiative, economically weaker prisoners are granted financial aid of up to Rs 25,000 for paying fines

Released Palestinian prisoners arrive to celebrations in West Bank

Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Ramallah celebrated the arrival of buses carrying dozens of prisoners released as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Israel said it released a total of 200 prisoners after Hamas freed four young, female Israeli soldiers. The prisoners include 120 who were serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis. Around 70 were released into Egypt. Hamas militants handed over four captive female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday after parading them in front of a crowd. Israel followed with the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees as part of the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The four Israeli soldiers smiled broadly as they waved and gave the thumbs-up from a stage in Gaza City's Palestine Square, militants on either side of them and a crowd of thousands watching before they were led off to waiting Red Cross vehicles. They were likely acting under duress, with previously

Hamas frees 4 Israeli women soldiers in major prisoner swap under ceasefire

Hamas released four Israeli female soldiers in a prisoner swap, handing them to the Red Cross in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, under a ceasefire deal aiming to end Gaza's 15-month conflict

Centre urges states, UTs to ensure undertrial prisoner relief in jails

MHA had issued an advisory to the states and UTs in this regard on October 16 last year and had requested them to provide the benefit of the provisions of Section 479 of BNSS to all eligible prisoners

India has signed 31 bilateral pacts on transfer of sentenced persons: Govt

India has signed 31 bilateral agreements on transfer of sentenced persons by virtue of which the Indian prisoners lodged in foreign countries can be transferred to India to serve the remainder of their sentence and vice-versa, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha. He was asked whether the government has put in place a robust mechanism to transfer the Indians languishing in jail in foreign countries to India so that they can serve the remaining sentence in the country. "The government attaches high priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indians in foreign countries, including those in foreign jails," he said. The minister said India has "signed 31 bilateral Agreements on Transfer of Sentenced Persons by virtue of which Indian prisoners lodged in foreign countries can be transferred to India to serve the remainder of their sentence and ...