THE HAGUE - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still considering a response to the conviction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for the long-term imprisonment of the Italian / Sint Maarten Mafia boss Francesco Corallo in a small, dirty police cell in Philipsburg.

In October, the Court granted Corallo compensation of € 5,000 for the inhumane treatment he had to undergo while awaiting his extradition to Italy where he was suspected of bribing politicians and money laundering.

In addition to paying compensation, the Netherlands must submit an action plan within six months of the award to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg that is charged with monitoring compliance with the judgments of the ECtHR. The action plan must indicate which measures have been taken to implement the ruling and which measures will be taken to prevent new violations in the future.

It will have to be indicated how the conditions in the police cells are improved and the duration of stay is limited. The latter is still difficult: the situation in prison is equally inhumane according to independent observers. A Foreign Affairs spokesperson said that "the consultations with all the authorities involved, both in The Hague and Sint Maarten, will take some time." The action plan must be submitted by 9 April at the latest.