The issue of confinement of defendants at home with electronic monitoring (wristband/ankleband) instead of detention in prison is coming back to the fore.
The issue was brought up again by the Minister of Justice and Public Order after the realization that today, almost 1/3 of the prisoners in Central Prisons are under trial, but also due to Europe's demands for the expansion of the institution of electronic surveillance instead of the measure of detention, which means deprivation of the individual's liberty.
Recently, the Ministry of Justice discussed the extension of the institution with the electronic wristband to the defendants instead of only to the convicts, with the Police on whose shoulders the burden of supervising the defendants will fall, bringing, according to our information, some objections.
The Police cites a lack of personnel, which is why they raise objections to the extension of the institution to the undertrials, since their monitoring will not be considered the responsibility of the Prisons.
However, according to the information of "F", the Minister of Justice insists on the implementation of the institution and was one of the issues raised to the president of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe CPT, whom Marios Hartsiotis met.
Today, in a special wing of the Prisons, about 340 defendants are detained, a fact that aggravates the problem of overcrowding, while people are deprived of their freedom while waiting for their trial. According to the Ministry of Justice, there could be a regulation on the issue to give power to the Courts where a request is made to examine whether a person is confined to his home instead of detention and monitored through an electronic bracelet that he will wear on his leg, as is the case with convicts. The wristband will emit a signal that will be monitored and in case the conditions set by the court as restrictions are violated, it will be sought by the Police and more drastic measures will be taken, i.e. it will be detained.
According to the philosophy of the bill that may be prepared, it will be up to the Court to decide who and for which offenses will be placed under confinement in his home. The issue had previously been discussed in Parliament but due to disagreements between the Ministry of Justice, MPs and lawyers, as to the offenses that should be excluded, it did not proceed.
