Update 2: Malta breached Somali's human rights, European Court rules

Malta breached the human rights of a Somali migrant who suffered degrading conditions in an immigration detention centre, the European Court of Human Rights ruled today. The court held that Malta should pay Aden Ahmed €30,000 for non-pecuniary damage and €3,000 to cover costs and expenses. In today’s ruling, which is not final, judges held that Malta violated the European Convention on Human Rights article prohibiting inhuman or degrading treatment and that ensuring a right to liberty and security. Ms Ahmed was placed in detention in Malta after she entering the country irregularly, by boat, to seek asylum in February 2009. This is the first time the court found a violation against Malta concerning immigration detention conditions. The court was concerned about the conditions in which Ms Ahmed was detained at Lyster Barracks, notably the possible exposure of detainees to the cold, the lack of female, a complete lack of access to open air and exercise for periods of up to three months, an inadequate diet and the particular vulnerability of Ms Ahmed due to her fragile health and personal emotional circumstances. Taken as a whole, those conditions, in which she had lived for...