Dear Editor,

Will we ever know how prisoner, Edwin Niles, now deceased, was able to secure seven .22 rounds of ammunition, while he was out working at Camp Ayanganna under the supervision of the prison authorities?

Is the Guyana Police Force in a position to inform the nation as to the status of the investigations into the beating to death of this prisoner?

Luckily, we are aware of the medical reports regarding the cause of death, so the obvious questions must be answered without delay. Who instituted the deadly beating on Niles?

Was it the police, the prison authorities, or army persons? Since the medical evidence revealed that Niles had been severely burnt, and had sustained broken bones and other injuries about the body, we must ask if this is not a clear case of torture? The government must, therefore, advise the nation as to whether this form of interrogation is acceptable to the regime, and whether such cruel treatment of human beings by the disciplined services does not amount to torture. I would be appalled if the government does not answer the latter question in the affirmative, and since they should agree that it is torture the President should then further advise Guyanese whether his government sanctions torture. If the President claims that the administration does not sanction such treatment, he would then need to explain why these acts are perpetrated seemingly without fear of reprimand.

It is unthinkable that in the wake of allegations of torture by Sumner and others that members of the disciplined services would be brazen enough to beat a prisoner to death. If there are any actions on the part of the executive which suggest it has some level of tolerance for torture, then members within the disciplined services might be more inclined to commit such acts.

The current delay in the release of the much anticipated torture report is another example of how people may be led to believe that the government does not regard the torture of Guyanese as a serious issue. The government must therefore act with dispatch to remove all doubt from the public’s mind regarding its position on torture. I believe clear and unequivocal statements must be made and the torture report should not be further delayed. Those guilty of committing these cruel acts against Guyanese must be brought before the courts. We cannot allow another person to be beaten to death, whether in custody or otherwise.

Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor