“I believe the Italian Embassy has participated in at least four court hearings in which my daughter appeared in these conditions before the judge,” Roberto Salis told Agora on Rai3.

“We had no evidence of the treatment our daughter was undergoing until October 12, when she wrote a letter,” he continued.

“The only ones who knew and said nothing were the people at the Italian embassy in Hungary,” said Salis, adding that he was due to meet with the Italian ambassador in Hungary on Tuesday morning.

“I expect some action, we have had many talks,” he continued.

“This is the first time I have had the pleasure of speaking with the ambassador.

“Evidently in these 11 months he has had much more onerous commitments than taking care of my daughter,” concluded Salis.

Meanwhile, centre-left opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) on Tuesday called for the prime minister to give an urgent briefing to parliament on the case of Salis.

“Yesterday’s shocking images of Ilaria Salis, who was handcuffed in an undignified manner in the court of a country of which Giorgia Meloni boasts of being a friend, have left us stunned,” M5S House whip Francesco Silvestri told ANSA.

“As soon as the assembly opens we will request an urgent briefing from the PM.

“The gravity of the situation requires immediate information and action,” he continued.

“We want to know whether the government, through the foreign ministry, was already aware of Ilaria’s condition.

“We hope that Giorgia Meloni will put the interests of Italian citizens before those of Orban,” concluded Silvestri.

Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Antonio Tajani said Tuesday he had learned of the fact that Iliaria Salis appeared in chains before a Budapest court only the day before.   

“I did not know about the accompaniment with hand and ankle cuffs that we saw yesterday, and I was never informed about it,” said Tajani.

“I honestly did not know how the detainee was being transported.

We have asked and protested that this should not happen again,” he added.

“Let’s see next time what they do.”

Tajani also said Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, a close ally of Meloni, “has nothing to do with it”.

“It’s not as though the government decides the trial,” said Tajani.

“The judiciary is independent.

“Hungary is a sovereign state, and we can only protest” about how detainees are treated, he concluded.

ANSA