"There have been 46 suicides in Italian prisons since the beginning of the year," according to the Antigone association, which fights for prison rights. It notes that "in recent days, three inmates have taken their own lives in their cells." One in the Carinola prison (Caserta), where a prisoner under the 41 bis regime committed suicide. Another in the Lucera prison (Foggia), where a man whose parental rights had been taken away the day before committed suicide. One in the Trieste prison. "The person who committed suicide," Antigone explains, "was Tarzan Selimovic, a homeless man who suffered from mental health problems." He was serving a sentence for "robbery" and was sentenced to one year and six months under a fast-track trial. The "robbery" involved snatching a cell phone from a man and running away. "On September 26th," the association continues, "he had served his 18 months and was expecting to be released, but he remained in prison because the prosecutor had appealed the preliminary hearing judge's ruling to the Supreme Court of Cassation, and therefore the 18 months were considered 'pre-trial detention.'" Since he was homeless, there was no way to place him under house arrest. "He," Antigone continues, "believed he had the right to be released, so he 'caused a disturbance,' attacking the officers. And for this, he ended up in solitary confinement, where he took his own life."
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