KEYSTONE/Linda Graedel
The repeat offender Brian, known as “Carlos”, is in permanent solitary confinement. Sharp criticism has now come from the UN special envoy on torture.
The “Carlos” case, or Brian, as he would now like to be properly called, will be a case for the federal government: The UN Special Representative on Torture has intervened in the Department of Foreign Affairs because of the ongoing solitary confinement for Brian.
Brian’s lawyers had announced it at the trial before the Zurich Higher Court at the end of May – now the intervention has been submitted: The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, has requested a written statement from the Foreign Office from Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis (FDP) on Brian’s detention conditions.
According to UN standards, solitary confinement may only be used in exceptional cases and in no case longer than 15 days. “But here we are at almost three years,” said Melzer on Monday Radio SRF. This is “far above the acceptable level” and is a violation of the UN’s anti-torture convention. In his letter, Melzer therefore demanded that Brian’s detention regime should be relaxed.
Conditions of detention remain unchanged
There are also forms of detention with which one can prevent outbreaks of violence without having to come to total isolation. The federal government will now take a position on this within two months. In addition, the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture will visit the young violent criminal and investigate the situation in Pöschwies prison.
For the time being, nothing will be changed in the conditions of detention. Brian remains in solitary confinement with no contact with fellow inmates.
On Wednesday, June 16, the Zurich Higher Court will open its verdict in the “Carlos” case. It will decide whether the 25-year-old will be properly kept, treated behind bars or immediately released, as his three lawyers demanded during the trial. They also describe the detention conditions as torture.
The indictment lists 29 individual incidents
The repeat offender has to answer in court because he threatened, attacked and sometimes injured several police officers, fellow inmates and employees in prison. The indictment lists 29 individual incidents. The lower court had sentenced him to a “small detention”, that is, therapy behind bars.
Once this procedure is legally binding, however, the next one is already approaching him. The public prosecutor’s office has already started new proceedings against 30 more attacks. These were also mainly directed against the prison staff and the police.
–
