The leader of the National Union of Prison Guards, Frederico Morais, expressed “surprise” at the Portuguese state paying more than one and a half million euros in compensation to inmates who lodged complaints with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) this Thursday.
“It’s 300 thousand euros more than what was previously known,” Morais told Notícias ao Minuto, adding that the money “should have been invested in the prison conditions for the inmates” and explaining that the Portuguese state is “convicted [by the ECHR] to pay fines for the inhumane conditions in which inmates serve their sentences.”
Regarding the report released this Thursday by the Ombudsman’s office, Frederico Morais stated he “regrets that the same issues arise once more without listening to those involved” and emphasized it is a “biased report.”
“The union seeks involvement before the report is released,” he clarified, considering that the report indicates several signs of mistreatment of inmates. However, the union leader stated that when only one side is heard, it becomes “biased”.
Morais reiterated that “the Ombudsman should not be partisan and should evaluate the situation generically, listening to all parties”.
“Last year, I requested an urgent meeting with the ombudsman [Maria Lúcia Amaral], where I presented all these points and requested to be heard. It was to no avail,” he highlighted. “The prison system continues to be biased and the targeted group is the prison guards”.
“The report is authored by the ombudsman—who is now the Minister of Internal Administration [Maria Lúcia Amaral]—and it calls into question the Public Prosecutor’s Office,” he noted, adding that the Public Prosecutor does not agree with the report presented by the Ombudsman.
What’s at Stake?
This Thursday, it was revealed that over a six-year period, the Portuguese state paid over one and a half million euros in compensation to inmates who filed complaints with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The calculations were made by the Ombudsman, who presented today’s figures in the annual report of the National Preventive Mechanism, which was delivered in the morning to the Assembly of the Republic and pertains to the year 2024.
From the first compensation paid in December 2019 to early March 2025—a period of just over five years—the Portuguese state paid 1,552,075 euros to inmates who argued that “the conditions of confinement they were subjected to while serving a prison sentence constituted a violation of the prohibition of torture,” according to the Ombudsman’s report.
Of this over one million euros, 18%—approximately 273 thousand euros—was due to ECHR convictions, 52%—more than 800 thousand euros—resulted from mutual agreements between the state and the complainant, and 30%—about 470 thousand euros—was from proposals presented by the Portuguese state and accepted by the ECHR.
Given these figures, the Ombudsman warned of the possibility of compensation amounts increasing, as the number of complaints related to mistreatment and lack of conditions in prisons is also rising. This money “could be invested in improving the material conditions of the prison system,” the document states.
Ombudsman Finds Evidence of Inmate Mistreatment
The Ombudsman found evidence of inmate mistreatment in the prisons of Lisbon, Monsanto, and Porto, an assault that was not reported to the Public Prosecutor, and a medical note that concealed the guard’s assault.
These conclusions are part of the annual report of the National Preventive Mechanism, which was delivered this morning to the Assembly of the Republic, regarding the year 2024, where several criticisms of the current functioning of various prison establishments in Portugal are highlighted.
This year, the Ombudsman made 50 monitoring visits to locations where individuals are deprived of liberty, to assess their conditions and treatment. Beyond visiting the 10 largest prisons in the country, visits were also made to six educational centers, temporary accommodation centers for foreigners and equivalent spaces, psychiatric hospitals, and police stations and detention areas.
Read More: In 6 years, the state paid more than one and a half million in compensation to inmates
