Settlement reached after pepper spray against imprisoned man
DR-Inland in Denmark
Thursday, November 12, 2026 • 4:41 PM UTC - in Denmark
A settlement has been reached after pepper spray was used against an imprisoned man.
In an observation cell, two employees used pepper spray against a man. A court in Strasbourg halts the case against Denmark.
Today at 5:41 PM
Denmark has decided to reach a settlement with a complainant who had been subjected to pepper spray in a prison cell.
Therefore, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has struck out the case, reports the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
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Complained about inhuman and degrading treatment
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The case concerns two prison employees using pepper spray against an imprisoned man in an observation cell on December 17, 2024.
The man subsequently complained that he had been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment in violation of the Convention on Human Rights.
Article three of the convention had been violated, and he also complained that the authorities' investigation of the case was ineffective.
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Denmark previously convicted
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In a similar case regarding the use of pepper spray against another inmate in a prison, Denmark was convicted in October 2023.
Regarding the current settlement, senior researcher Peter Veddel Kessing from the Danish Institute for Human Rights says it indicates that the Danish authorities have assessed that Denmark would be convicted.
"It is positive that a settlement has been reached," he states in a press release.
But at the same time, he regrets that the court did not have the opportunity to rule on whether the complaint system in prisons is adequate.
Pepper spray is cayenne pepper or chili mixed with a solvent. If it hits someone in the face, it causes acute pain in the eyes and on the skin. Blindness lasts for about half an hour.
RITZAU
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