On the 1st June 2007 we published a front page article entitled “Remand Prisoner Claims He Was Tortured by Police” in our issue No 20 – Volume 6. The story can still be accessed through our website, www.seychellesweekly.com, which now receives a minimum of ten thousand hits per week. (Well Done Editor!)
In that article we told the story of a young man, Patrick Sopha, who was on remand at the recently built Mt Posee prison. During a routine bail application before Judge Perera, Sopha complained that “he was removed from his cell in the middle of the night by prison wardens and handed over to a group of five SSU police officers who took him to a dark room where he was physically and sexually assaulted by those police officers. Sopha gave the name of five people he alleged abused him as police officers Florentine, Pillay, Hollanda, Dogley and Mondon.”
It took the local police force one whole week to craft a denial, which was broadcasted on SBC TV eight days after our article first appeared. The viewing public saw through their fabricated lies and treated it with the contempt that it deserved. Now this week we have received further confirmation that Sopha was indeed telling the truth and the charade on SBC was a lame attempt at covering up an embarrassing incident which proves that the Government of President James Michel has no respect for human rights.
During a routine visit to the
Ricky Robert told our reporter of his own troubles with the wardens at Mt. Posee Prison. According to Robert he has discovered God during his imprisonment. “I am a Muslim now,” he said. “I am constantly praying, even for my tormenters. I grow a beard out of respect for my belief”, he explained. “They refuse to let me use a prayer mat hence this enormous growth under my left knee”, he stated further.
“Two weeks ago I got into an argument with a warden. Later that same day they came for me. They handcuffed me and started beating me with sticks, punching me in the ribs and kicking me with their feet until I fainted. They took a razor blade and shaved my beard. When I asked them why they did this to me, one replied that Muslim is not tolerated in prison. I have complained about the growth under my knee on numerous occasions and have been refused treatment in the past. It is only now that it has grown dangerously big over shooting my kneecap. They have agreed for me to have an operation to have it removed.” Robert explained.
Robert was also able to confirm that the ordinary police, SSU and CID visits the prison regularly to talk to remand prisoners and that torture has now become the weapon of choice as an interrogation method at the Mt. Posee Prison. The screams of the victims can be heard loud and clear all over the Prison. “We are living in a torture chamber,” Robert stated.
This account by Ricky Robert is alarming and a worrying factor because they are turning the inmates into monsters and beasts. The consequence of the actions of the prison wardens, SSU, ordinary police and the CID will have a devastating outcome on society when their victims, now turned into beasts, are finally released to live a normal life amongst us. President Michel must now look into this serious issue which has reared its ugly head threatening the peace of daily living in the country.