German court refuses to extradite Albanian to Britain because of prison conditions.

 

A German court has refused to extradite to Britain, an Albanian living in Germany, who is wanted by the British authorities for drug trafficking and money laundering. The man was arrested in Germany after an international arrest warrant (Interpol red notice), was issued by Westminster magistrates court.

The German court ruled that the conditions in Britain's prisons i.e. overcrowding, staff shortages, and violence, made the man’s extradition "currently inadmissible." Before making its decision, the German court, had sought guarantees that the UK was compliant with the minimum standards as laid down by the European convention on human rights, and asked the British authorities, to specify which prisons the Albanian man was going to be detained in and what his conditions of detention would be.

A police station in Manchester, responded to the first request on the final day of the deadline, saying a further 20,000 prison places were being built. A second request for reassurances about UK prison conditions received no response from the UK.

As the UK is no longer a member of the E U., the rules of the European arrest warrant no longer apply. As the Albanian man was not wanted for offences committed in Germany, and the German court had failed to receive assurances from the UK, he was released.

Britain's prison conditions are regarded as being extremely harsh, if not inhuman. Prisoners are often locked up 23-hours a day, and many prisoners, suffer from mental health issues. Violence, suicide, and drug taking, is also commonplace in Britain's prison system. Women prisoners, are known to have given birth to children while in their prison cells, and without medical attention.