Italy releases 88‑year‑old inmate Antonio Russo to home detention

Antonio Russo, an 88‑year‑old prisoner serving a 12‑year sentence for voluntary homicide, was granted house arrest on health grounds. The decision follows a partial presidential pardon issued by President Sergio Mattarella in April and a recent urgent order by Rome’s surveillance magistrate, after advocacy by former Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno, activist Fabio Falbo and Russo’s lawyer Edoardo Albertario.

The case draws attention to the broader issue of elderly incarceration in Italy. According to prison union data, about 1,300 inmates are over 70 and suffer chronic illnesses. Over 80 % of these seniors face serious health problems, while the prison system struggles with a shortage of medical staff. Infectious diseases affect 48 % of prisoners, followed by psychiatric (32 %), musculoskeletal (17 %) and cardiovascular (16 %) conditions. The situation has prompted calls for judicial restraint on incarcerating seniors and references to several European Court of Human Rights rulings against Italy for inhumane detention conditions.