Domenic Striglio, one of the bosses of the infamous Italian mafia, has been in solitary confinement in a prison on the island of Sardinia since 1999. He was found guilty of a whole bunch of crimes, including murder.
It turned out that 48-year-old Striglio is a big lover of music, and the prison authorities did not allow him to keep a CD player in his cell. Striglio sued the prison administration, and the panel of judges agreed with his arguments. Hearing music in a cell is part of the constitutionally guaranteed right to “engage in cultural activities,” the judges ruled. They noted that this right is “part of the right to personal liberty”, which cannot be limited by any form of imprisonment. Under Italian law, which has been criticized by human rights organizations, imprisoned members of mafia groups are subject to more stringent measures than other prisoners, aimed at limiting their communication with each other or with like-minded people.
Newspaper headline:
Music for everyone