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Simply tasting Australia’s Vegemite spread might seem like cruel and unusual punishment to some, but one prison inmate from the land down under argues he should be allowed to enjoy the toast topping as a basic human right.
Convicted murderer Andre McKechnie has sued the prisons commissioner in the state of Victoria in a novel bid to eat the quintessentially Australian condiment.
McKechnie argued that he had a right to eat Vegemite because it was “his culture as an Australian”, according to court documents.
Vegemite has been banned inside Victoria’s jails since 2006 over fears the yeast-laden spread could be used to brew makeshift alcohol known as “pruno” or “hooch”.
Inmates can also smear sticky Vegemite paste across contraband to mask its smell from sniffer dogs, according to an official list of banned prison items.
McKechnie’s complaint pointed to Victoria’s human rights charter, which states no one should be denied the opportunity to “enjoy their culture”.
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