The Italian government is facing a dilemma in the case of a teacher imprisoned in Hungary. The minister of Justice advised the family to insist on obtaining house arrest for the teacher in Hungary before seeking to transfer her to Italy, due to fears of possible retaliation from far-right groups in Hungary. However, the family did not request house arrest in Hungary out of these fears.
The minister expressed concerns about potential diplomatic problems and the independence of the Hungarian judiciary, emphasizing that any official correspondence from the Italian government to a foreign judicial body would be irregular and inadmissible. There was also a political decision not to interfere in another country’s internal affairs, based on the concept of “judicial sovereignty.” The defenders of the imprisoned teacher sought technical support for their request, aiming to apply the European Framework Decision to change the precautionary measure from imprisonment to house arrest.
However, their efforts did not result in the desired official action from the Italian Ministry of Justice, leaving the family and their lawyers frustrated. This situation highlights the complexities of international legal cooperation and the challenges faced by Italian nationals detained abroad. The legal representative of the teacher criticized the Hungarian penitentiary system for not complying with European norms and expressed doubts about the Italian government’s commitment to protecting the rights of detainees as prescribed by European regulations.