The Association for rights, Information and Democracy ARID, has expressed its concern over what it has termed; “the continuous violation of human rights in the prison.”.
In a press communiqué the NGO said that it has recently recorded over fifteen reports of inhumane treatment of inmates. It was the family members of the inmates who made the reports, but ARID’s Chairperson Jules Hoareau has said that they have also had informal verbal complaints by certain members of the prison workforce, but added that those workers refrained from making any official written complaint, due to fears of possibly losing their jobs.
“The complainants have not just come to make accusations. Rather there are some who came with photographic evidence to back their claims. We also have certain audio evidence,” Hoareau said.
In the communiqué Arid stated that:
“The violation includes; the use of excessive force by some prison wardens, delayed medical attention, emotional and physical abuse, prisoners being locked up in dry cells for days, one inmate, a foreigner, allegedly died because of ill-treatment.”
Jules Hoareau said that ARID is especially concerned given the fact that late last week the prison services commemorated the Mandela Rules, an international protocol aimed at ensuring humane treatment and upholding the dignity of individuals deprived of their liberty; while at the same time it is not respecting the United Nations Standards for Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
“We are talking about the bare minimum now, the very least you can do to ensure their safety, dignity, security and basic needs, which are the four cornerstones of the Mandela rules.”
He added that: “Seychelles does very well in regards to providing the basic necessities. The inmates get their meals, they have their mattresses and their necessary amenities, but sadly when it comes to preserving their safety and dignity, it is an altogether different matter!”
Hoareau said that the situation is worrying and that it is not only at the Montagne Posée prison that there are big problems.
“We as an organisation, we have often pointed out that the facilities at the Ile Perseverance holding cells do not meet the minimum criteria for security and safety of those detained there. There is hardly any lighting and aeration and their sunlight hours are less than what is recommended. The cells are dark and stuffy and this preys on the mental wellbeing of the detainee as a form of mental torture.”
He added that ARID is most concerned about the allegations that the Commissioner of Prisons Janet Georges turns a blind eye to the violations.
“Our issue is that the breaching of those rules are being done without the management lifting a finger to stop it. Recently, we heard that when the Human rights Commission was about to visit the Montagne Posée prison, the dark cells were painted over in white so as to back up the management’s claim that there are no dark cells!”
ARID has called for an immediate cessation to the violation of the Mandela Rules and asks the prison authorities to ensure the safety and general wellbeing of the inmates.
“WE are not asking them to be overly soft. We recognise that the institution needs to observe a high level of discipline to maintain law and order. What we are asking for that all and or any action is kept well within the set standards, to preserve life and ensure the safety and wellbeing of both the inmates and those employees of the prisons!”
There has as yet been no official declaration by the prison authorities as to the allegations that the foreigner who is said to have died in prison, passed away due to ill-treatment by prison wardens. Brutality by both the police and the prison wardens is not new to the Seychelles.
Sunday 26th July will be exactly 16 years since Mervin Pierre died in a holding cell at Beau Vallon Police station, where he was being kept overnight allegedly because he was drunk and a menace to himself and others. They refused his request for a phone call to his mum so that his brother could come and sign him out, beat him up and left him to die in a cell, while the officials had a small party in the station. It was only when they went to give him the lunch his brother had brought for him, that they realised he had been dead for hours.
Most recently two inmates of the Montagne Posée prison were brutally beaten during a riot, of which they were not necessarily part. One of the two inmates who later died at the Victoria told his relatives that they had beaten him to a pulp like an octopus!
