Inmates seize ward at Pisa prison after finding hidden listening devices

Inmate takeover of Don Bosco ward

Around 40 inmates at the Don Bosco prison in Pisa launched a protest on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, taking control of the entire second judicial ward. The unrest began in the late afternoon, with confrontations breaking out around 19:00 after prisoners uncovered covert electronic surveillance devices installed inside their cells. Detainees stated that prison management had ordered all occupants out of their rooms on Tuesday, 29 September, under the pretext of conducting a two-hour emergency evacuation drill. Inmates later found hidden microphones, listening bugs, and cameras that had been placed inside their living quarters during their absence for investigative purposes. The discovery prompted inmates to barricade themselves inside the section and seize control of the judicial wing.

Social media livestreams and abuse claims

The protest became public when an inmate of Albanian origin broadcast live footage on TikTok using an unauthorized mobile phone kept in the ward despite regulations. Although that initial stream was cut short, inmates launched a second live transmission during the evening to detail the takeover. Several detainees appeared on camera with uncovered faces, speaking in both Italian and Albanian to describe how the surveillance equipment had been discovered in the second judicial ward. During the broadcast, the prisoners alleged that penitentiary officers had struck them with batons during physical scuffles in the corridors, though the men visible on camera showed no obvious bruising or marks of violence.

We have the right not to be spied on and to be able to speak freely while we are in our cells without fearing that we are being wiretapped.

Demands for talks and living conditions

The barricaded prisoners demanded an immediate meeting with the director of the Don Bosco facility and the commander of the Penitentiary Police to present their grievances. In addition to the hidden listening devices, the detainees cited broader issues within the prison, including severe overcrowding and poor hygienic and sanitary conditions. The inmates argued during their broadcasts that secret recording in detention cells infringed on their ability to converse freely without fear of wiretapping. They insisted that the evacuation drill was a deliberate stratagem used by penitentiary police to access their rooms undetected.

Police response and medical deployment

Regional security forces organized a multi-agency containment operation around the perimeter of the Pisa prison to manage the uprising. Dozens of officers from the State Police, Carabinieri, and Penitentiary Police deployed around the exterior, supported by additional tactical units sent from Florence. Emergency medical personnel from the 118 emergency service entered the prison perimeter with ambulances to assist those injured in the clashes between inmates and correctional officers. Outside the facility gates, dozens of family members and friends of the inmates gathered along the perimeter walls while authorities brought the occupied ward back under control later on Wednesday night.