FURTHER POLICE SAVAGERY, BRUTALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES!

Mervin Samedi, 29 yr old farmer beaten by Police. On Monday, 12/11/07, the local police force, this time the ADAMS, showed their callousness when they picked up Mervin Samedi at La Misere. Mervin is 29yrs old; he is a farmer from Les Mammelles and was waiting for a bus ride to work at 8.45 am. He was on the La Misere road, La Louise, when he was picked up by members of the ADAMS unit. He was taken to their New Port office, into a room and the assault started without questions or warning. Mervin is a reserve individual, his only crime it seems are his dreadlocks, which by all accounts is a fundamental right under the supreme laws of Seychelles.

He was then taken to the Mont Fleuri Police Station; he was bleeding from the head as a result of the beatings he had received from the ADAMS officers. The Police at the Mont Fleuri station took him to the hospital where he had to have stitches to close a wound just above his right eye. After medical treatment Mervin was kept overnight at the Victoria Central Police Station where he was released the next day, Tuesday, 13/11/07. Mervin was also complaining about chess pains and back pains due to the blows in the form of punches he got from his aggressors.

This is another serious incident which clearly demonstrated the present state of the entire police force. The Police Commissioner cannot claim that he is succeeding in building a respectable force. Brutal force synonymous to that of a totalitarian system is being used in an attempt at curbing criminality. This is clearly not the way forward and at this stage the Commissioner and co should not be claiming victory. There is still a very way to go before they even get to the bus stop – let alone catch the bus for the home straight. Law and Order in Seychelles is still failing its citizens. The spining should end immediately and some real work aimed at finding solution to our dysfunctional police force must start now as matter of urgency……