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The Ombudsman set the Minister of Justice on 18 January to answer the question. Why are prisoners in Norwegian prisons systematically eavesdropped on phone calls?
A statement by ombudsman Hanne Harlem on Thursday said. The way the Prison Service implements the rules of telephone control in Norwegian prisons. It violates both the European Convention on Human Rights and the Norwegian constitution.
Harlem is now asking Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) to stop the illegal practice.
- The Court of Human Rights makes demands on the formulation of laws that restrict the right of prisoners to communicate confidentially with others. In light of this and our investigations, we have come to the conclusion that the systematic telephone tapping that takes place in Norwegian prisons is illegal, says Harlem.
Illegal telephone control in Norwegian prisons
The practice of systematic eavesdropping has been going on for a long time. The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness is requested to remedy the problem as soon as possible and has been given a January 18 deadline to provide feedback that the Ombudsman's order has been complied with.
– The Act on the Execution of Penalties requires the prison service to routinely check telephone calls to and from the vast majority of prisoners. This means that more calls are intercepted than necessary. Such a system does not meet the basis assessment requirement legal or proportionality under ECHR, writes Harlem.
Source: NTB
Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB
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