• Revolt in prisons.

    Nine hostages in Melfi, released during the night.

    Seven inmates died in Modena

  • Prisons: infections from Covid-19 are still increasing, 1,005 inmates vaccinated out of 52,599

  • Prisons.

    Coronavirus emergency, Dap suspends circular on releases

  • Coronavirus in prisons: 150 positive inmates, 200 in staff

Share

September 15, 2021 For the revolt in the Melfi prison of March 9, 2020, in which some prison police and medical personnel were kidnapped for nine hours in the cells, 11 people were arrested. In those days, protests against the measures implemented by the Department of the Penitentiary Administration for the containment of the epidemiological emergency Covid-19 were held throughout Italy.



In the provinces of Potenza, Benevento, Catania, Palermo, Syracuse, L'Aquila, Bari, Reggio Calabria and Asti, in investigations coordinated by the Power Prosecutor's Office, an order of custody in prison was carried out against the 11 detainees. In all, the suspects for the action in the Melfi prison are 44, but 33 "are awaiting - explains the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Potenza in a press release - the developments of the appeals to the Cassation proposed by their respective defenders". 



The investigations were coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Lucanian capital and conducted by the central operational service and by the organized crime section of the mobile squad of Potenza, with the support and collaboration of the penitentiary police departments. Reconstruct all the dynamics and phases of the protest that made it possible to trace the identity of the participants, at the level of circumstantial gravity.



The hostages were released after a long negotiation during which the supporters of the riot had also provided for the drafting of a document of requests and claims. For the participants in the revolt, the DDA hypothesized the crimes of kidnapping for the purpose of coercion and devastation.



The custody order for the 11 arrested was issued by the Review Court of Potenza which accepted an appeal lodged by the DDA against the rejection of the precautionary request. Initially, in fact, the investigating judge of Potenza, while recognizing the serious circumstantial profile, had rejected the precautionary request, believing that there were no precautionary needs.