The 'Baltic hell' being endured by imprisoned Irishman Michael Campbell is to eventually be closed but in the medium term there will be no change to the appalling conditions that he and others in the jail have to endure. Prison conditions at the Lithuanian Prison where Campbell is held were once again the subject of criticism this month.

Professor Rod Morgan, an independent expert in criminal justice and the former head of Britain's Youth Justice Board has produced a report which re-iterates earlier criticisms by the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which in 2008 inspected the Lukiskes Remand Prison in Vilnius. Michael Campbell has been held on remand in Lukiskes prison for almost two years and the Celtic League have repeatedly raised the circumstances of his prison conditions with both Lithuanian and Irish authorities.

The 2008 CPT report found conditions at the prison were `totally unacceptable' with overcrowded cells in a poor state of repair and filthy, little or no access to natural light, inadequate artificial lighting, lack of ventilation, unhygienic toilets, inadequate drinking water provision and absence of outdoor exercise facilities. Violence and suicides at the remand facility are also alarmingly high.

The Lithuanian authorities have finally started to comprehend the unacceptable nature of conditions at Lukiskes and on a visit to the Prison last month the Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, announced it is to close. However, this news is likely to be cold comfort to Michael Campbell who has had to endure years on imprisonment in this Baltic hell and in the medium term nothing will change.

Series of (carefully choreographed images) of the visit by President Grybauskaite to the infamous jail cannot conceal depressing nature of the facility – link here:
http://www.president.lt/en/press_center/photographs/26-01-2010/sladeshow/4528.html#view

The Full report of the CPT on its most recent inspection of police and prisons in Lithuania can be found at:
http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/ltu/2009-22-inf-eng.htm#_Toc217276983

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on socio-economic issues.