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"Inhuman, cruel and degrading": report on conditions inside US "supermax" prison described to Irish Court
Summary
Lawyers for Ali Charaf Damache, a 49‑year‑old Algerian‑born Irish citizen, read an Amnesty International report to the Irish High Court describing the conditions at the US ADX Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The report, based on information from attorneys and courts, characterises the prison as "inhuman, cruel and degrading," noting that prisoners are kept in solitary confinement and that conditions have become more restrictive, with an example of a man self‑mutilating. The court was told that many Muslim terrorist suspects are sent to ADX and that the US government would not preclude sending a mentally ill person who is not actively psychotic at entry. Damache is wanted in the US on terrorism charges and could face up to 45 years if convicted. He has been in Irish custody since the DPP declined to prosecute him in 2011 and the case is set to resume next Tuesday.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Inhuman, cruel and degrading": report on conditions inside US "supermax" prison described to Irish Court. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- March 2011 Adjournment
- 2014-11-28 Publication
Places mentioned
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