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DENYING the vote to a group of prisoners was a breach of human rights, European judges ruled yesterday.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) verdict concerned 10 prisoners who were unable to vote in elections to the European Parliament in 2009.
Judges ruled that there had been a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights — right to a free election.
The case was identical to another prisoner voting case in Britain in which the blanket ban was deemed a breach, they said.
But the court rejected the applicants’ claim for compensation and legal costs.
“The government has always been clear that it believes prisoner voting is an issue that should ultimately be decided in the UK,” said a Ministry of Justice spokesman.
“This is not a straightforward issue and the government needs to think carefully about the recommendations, which included new options for implementation.”
