The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg ruled on Tuesday (22 May) that it is up to member states to decide on whether to grant prisoners the right to vote.
Inmates charged with minor offences and short sentences should have the right, said the court. Meanwhile, member states can decide if serious offenders like rapists and murders should have it or not.
The ECHR decision was based on an Italian inmate's complaint that he was deprived the right to vote following hi...
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Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.