Posted on 03/02/2005 10:54:33 PM PST by jb6
VILNIUS, February 25 (Itar-Tass) - Lithuania has again lost in the Strasbourg-based European Court for Human Rights. Siauliai prison inmate Ramunas Jankavuskas sued Lithuania for censorship of private letters.
A representative of the Lithuanian government failed to explain to the court why a democracy would want to check private letters of a convict, the court resolution says.
The court said that the prison administration had flagrantly violated Article 8 of the Human Rights and Freedoms Convention, which binds a government to respect private life.
The court said that the Siauliai prison personnel had illegally censored over 360 letters to and from convicts. Jankavuskas communicated with his family and non-governmental organizations.
The court compelled Lithuania to pay 1,000 euros in compensation of the plaintiff’s moral damage and another 3,000 euros in compensation of the defense services.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.