By Desmond Lewis
Amnesty International Sierra Leone has written a letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs seeking a meeting to discuss allegations of cross human rights violations including cruelty and degrading treatments meted on suspects in police custody.
“As a right based organisation, we are seriously concerned about the increasing allegation of gross human rights violations including cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment meted on suspects and accused person detained at Bengazi, a holding centre at the OSD [Operational Support Divisions of Sierra Leone Police] headquarters in Freetown,” Amnesty International said in the letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Police torture is a distinctive category of police brutality and is committed when police offices use force to achieve a task or a design, most frequently to extort confessions or to induce compliance.
Amnesty international cited in the letter that, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone was denied access to Bengazi following series of allegations of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of persons detained including Alhaji Amadu Bah aka LAJ and several other persons. According to the National Human Right Commission press release dated 20th June 2022, “The HRCSL condemns action of the police in refusing access to the commission and lawyers for the said suspect.”
Recently, the relatives of Joseph Conteh report a matter of cruelty, inhuman and degrading treatment meted on him while in custody at Bengazi at the OSD headquarters to Amnesty International.
According to the family members, the detainee was asked to walk with his knees and elbow while receiving lashes form the police officers in charge.
“In this regard, I hereby request for a meeting with you to discuss this issue and what the Ministry has done or is doing to sanitise the existing human rights violations at Bengazi,” Amnesty International said in the letter.
The Director of Amnesty international SL, Solomon Sogbandi told Premier News that he is surprised to learn that SLP is allegedly running a torture camp officially in this country.
He said that Amnesty international have received countless complaints from victims and their families about being tortured at this centre.
He emphasised that, as a human rights-based organisation they are seriously concerned about the increasing allegations of gross human rights violations meted on suspects and accused person detained at “Bengazi’.
He stated that the Independent Police Complaints Board (IPCB) also promised to investigate the said detention facility, “but to date no report is being made public on the said investigation”.
The letter was also addressed to the Vice President, HRCSL, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Independent Police Complaints Board.
There is no immediate comment from the police with respect the allegation.