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Albanian refuses extradition from England to Italy: Prison there... no hot water

2025-11-03 20:50:53Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Albanian refuses extradition from England to Italy: Prison there... no hot water
Mariglen Kefalia

An Albanian drug trafficker who is expected to be extradited to Italy is challenging this decision, claiming that the lack of hot water in Italian prisons violates his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

According to "The Telegraph", the Albanian is called Mariglen Qefalia, 41 years old, sentenced to five years in prison in Italy for trafficking 1.5 kg of cocaine while being sought by Italian authorities to serve the remainder of his sentence.

However, Qefalia, who is believed to have fled to the UK and entered illegally in 2022, is trying to block extradition on the grounds that Italian prison conditions would violate his rights under Article 3 of the ECHR. This article prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, and is commonly used by asylum seekers facing deportation to their countries of origin.

During the extradition proceedings, Qefalia did not testify in person, but called as an expert Alessio Scandurra, an activist and researcher with 30 years of experience at the Antigone organization, which deals with justice, human rights and penal policies. Scandurra stated that many cells in Italian prisons do not meet the recommended standards that guarantee prisoners the minimum space for movement and exercise.

According to regulations, a cell must have at least nine square meters for one prisoner, plus an additional five square meters for each additional prisoner. But, according to Scandurra, a number of institutions were not originally built as prisons, but as converted monasteries or military buildings, and may have cells smaller than the minimum requirements.

He added that in some prisons with overcrowding of up to 150 percent, the effective space per prisoner may fall below the required standard, not including sanitary areas. Also, some cells have triple bunk beds, with the top layer very close to the ceiling.

"Prisoners cannot all sit around the cell table at the same time. These conditions also affect the organization of access to the ventilation facilities, due to the lack of staff," he stated.

Scandurra also informed the court that the hot water supply is “unstable,” and cells can overheat in the summer. Inmates can purchase table fans, but he estimated that last summer at least half of the cells he visited did not have fans.

On the other hand, Adam Squibbs, a representative of the Italian state, argued that even if the cells were filled to 300 percent capacity, they would still meet the minimum regulations. He noted that older buildings may have smaller cells, but there is no evidence of concrete dimensions. Even in pre-trial detention conditions, prisoners are allowed education and activities outside their cells.

Squibbs submitted that the material conditions did not constitute a violation of Article 3 of the ECHR, even if taken in its broadest sense. In his view, the lack of hot water during the day and the obligation to take cold showers did not constitute a violation of the convention. He noted that Qefalia had offered a £2,000 bail, which indicated that he would be able to buy a fan to cope with the high temperatures.

"Mariglen Qefalia is a fugitive in the technical sense. I am certain that he left Italy fully aware of the criminal process, of the unserved sentence and without informing the Italian authorities. He has deliberately placed himself outside the jurisdiction of Italian justice ," the judge declared.

Regarding prison conditions, the judge said that the evidence regarding temperatures and hot water is unclear and non-specific.

“While warm water may be necessary in the cold winter of northern Italy, a cold shower may be preferable or even necessary in the hot summer of the south. I am convinced that there is no real risk of a breach of Article 3; therefore I do not consider any additional guarantees or information necessary,” he said.


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