The Punitive Cell. Solitary Confinement at the Intersection of Criminology, Law, and Human Rights

Solitary confinement – the isolation of a prisoner from meaningful human contact for twenty-two or more hours per day – remains one of

International Seminar “Discussions Around the Use of Solitary Confinement in Prisons” (May 8, 2026, University of Tübingen)

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the European Court of Human Rights in collaboration with the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen

Castes, Forced Labour, and the Failure to Protect: Petrov v. Moldova – A Landmark Case on Informal Prisoner Hierarchies

1. The applicant alleges that he belonged to the lowest caste of “pariahs” in the informal hierarchy that, according to him, prevails in

Sklyarenko v. Ukraine: Justice Delayed and the Price of Political Ambitions

On 30 April 2026, the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in Sklyarenko v. Ukraine. The Fifth Section unanimously found a

Institutional Darkness: The Inaction of the PCMRU and Odesa SIZO as a Systemic Dysfunction of Penitentiary Oversight (Proceedings in Case No. 420/9112/26)

2 April 2026, the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in Ukrayinskyy and Others v. Ukraine — 42 applicants, correctional colony

🇱🇻 Visit to Latvia: A Dialogue on Standards for the Treatment of Prisoners and Informal Prison Hierarchies

Yesterday, I had the great honour and privilege of speaking with staff from the Prison Service of the Republic of Latvia. Words can

Lecture for the Latvian Legal Community: Torture, ECHR Standards, ECtHR Case Law and the Impact of Russian Aggression on the Ukrainian Justice System

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia for the invitation and for