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GHRA calls for impartial probe of prisoner’s death

`Charges appropriate to the severity of the crime should be laid promptly, if only to quell the rapid disintegration of official credibility on these issues’
The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is calling for an impartial and vigorous investigation into the death of prisoner Edwin Niles and for the matter not to be treated as exempt from the normal processes of the law because the disciplined services are involved.

“Charges appropriate to the severity of the crime should be laid promptly, if only to quell the rapid disintegration of official credibility on these issues,” the GHRA said yesterday in a press release. The group added its voice in condemning Niles’ death from “horrific injuries sustained under torture in Camp Street, Georgetown prison allegedly at the hands of a combination of members of the Prison and members of other Disciplined Services.” It said too Niles’ death reinforces the suspicion that these services are “encouraged to get results at any cost when arms and ammunition are involved.”

Further, the association said it is difficult for it to reconcile this event with the normal prison culture and to this end noted that despite criticisms levelled at prevailing conditions in the main prisons over time the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has taken systematic steps to incorporate human rights training and enlightened programmes into the prison regime. The GHRA said these efforts have been constantly undermined by overcrowding combined with staff shortages, issues over which it says, the GPS exercises no control. “Efforts by the judiciary to address overcrowding through more flexible bail policies have been rebuffed and ridiculed by short-sighted ministers and other government agencies,” the statement said.

However, the GHRA said that stressful conditions under which the understaffed prison services operate “should, in no way, be used to rationalize the horror of Niles’ death.” It said in trying to understand the sudden descent by members of the GPS into extreme brutality one must also take into account the early involvement of the GDF in the incident. The concept of “Joint Services”, the release said appears in practice to facilitate the transmission of the torture virus and culture from the GDF to the other disciplined services. The GHRA said the increased savagery of criminal violence in recent times is provoking similar savagery in the response of the disciplined services and in this respect “the criminals and the disciplined services appear to feed off each other.”

Further, the GHRA noted that while attention is being directed at the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, there is complete silence regarding how he may have come into possession of ammunition while labouring at base Camp Ayanganna. The army has reportedly launched its own investigations into how the ammunition was taken from its base.

Niles had reportedly taken a pair of pants from a room he was cleaning at Camp Ayanganna and was caught with the ammunition in its pockets during a routine check upon return to the prison. He was interrogated, during which time he was allegedly beaten and burnt and later put into the hands of the police, then taken to the Georgetown hospital. The man succumbed to his injuries nine days later and a post-mortem examination revealed that he died of blood clots in the lungs due to burns about the back. He also suffered a fractured left arm.
`Charges appropriate to the severity of the crime should be laid promptly, if only to quell the rapid disintegration of official credibility on these issues’

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11 Responses to “GHRA calls for impartial probe of prisoner’s death”

mercigar
on July 19th, 2008 6:41 am

“How Many More…” What makes me think NOTHING will come out of this. Nothing that hurts the people seems to bother the authorities enough to warrant IMPARTIAL investigations and TIMELY presentation of the TRUE findings. Eh!

[Reply to this]
Berkeley Van Bowen
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 6:20 pm:
The GHRA is a toothless organization. How many times have they called for investigations only to be ignored by the PPP regime.

[Reply to this]
darcman
on July 19th, 2008 7:21 am

Justice sweet Justice in the quickest of time. Please no more sweeping dust under the carpet. Killers in uniform should be treated as all killers. Beautiful Guyana, sweet justice

[Reply to this]
justice4all
on July 19th, 2008 8:56 am

Guyana is the only nation in the Commonwealth where these kinds of atrocities can occur without consequence to the true perpetrators. These extra-judicial excesses have become the norm in Guyana. The victims, because they are black, elicit little or no sympathy from the press, the Government, or civil society. Contrast the response to this atrocity to that of the Indian kid who alleged that he was tortured at a police station. Yes I believe that he was tortured, and that the indignant response to what happened was right. What I abhor is absence of a parallel response when the victims of in these allegations are black.

[Reply to this]
ankoko
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 9:32 am:
Don’t know for sure if the race of the victim was truly a factor. The larger percentage of the prison population is black ( I believe also that there are more black Prison Officers) hence blacks would naturally be the ones ‘abused’.
It is a fact (undisputed) that this man was severely mistreated and killed at the hands of some person(s). I see the attempt to create a doubt as to which agency was involved (Prison or Police) for no reason other than to minimise and excuse the acts of the perpetrators. This ‘investigation’ should have been done already with people being criminally and departmentally charged, releived of duties and placed before the courts.
The press in Guyana is limited in its freedom to inform. So much so that I sometimes wonder if this blog wouldn’t soon be deemed ‘disrespectful’ and be subject to penalties.

[Reply to this]
justice4all
In reply to the above comment on July 20th, 2008 6:04 am:
Look who is being tortured. And everyone on the streets of Guyana know who the torturers are. Wlk around in Brooklyn and they will give you names.

The fact that the overwhelming majority in prison are black is irrelevant. This is not a routine situation of prisoners being tortured. Read the circumstances. He was found with munitions and he was treated like the soldiers in the AK47 investigations.

You guys use the Chronicle for the most wildest of speculations about the African Guyanese community and to spread PPP propaganda but are always seeking to shut any arena you do not control. If you do not lik.

Disrespectful to whom. Respect is earned. This triumphalistic rationale that those who you like is above reproach and people should be bowing subserviently to them is the common theme among youse guys. Give me a break. When you begin to treat our leaders with respect you will have the right to demand the same for yours. We will not carry on this onesided affair of you saying what you want about those who represent us than getting all apoplectic when we do not shuffle along obsequiously in compliance with the dictates of those who represent you. Give me a break!!!

kabaka
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 10:48 am:
Those of us who are previliged to be domiciled in foreign civilized societies and are privy to facts and historical events are very aware of nations that perpetrate all kinds of atrocities and genocide upon defendless peoples and nations.Irrespective of the hue of the victims skin we must all speak out against oppression and victimization .Those who are accustomed to pointing fingers,next time you do ,check to see how many are pointing back to you.

[Reply to this]
bgsbny
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 11:48 am:
i as a birth right G’nese ,,i lived thru all that burnham and the pnc ,, delivered on a daily basis ,, for 28 years no less ! saw my black brothers and sisters ,, who were ” marginalised ” by the pnc !,, some were even MURDERED !
ure making the reading public on this forum ,, possibly on a global scale ,, think of u as a racist from as u termed it ur ” mental formulations “,,

it would be so much of value to not only ur fellow blacks in GY ,, but on perhaps a larger front ,, if u can find it in ur ” mental formulations ” to say something that is refective of anything but RACE HATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reply to this]
La vie est bonne!
on July 19th, 2008 10:23 am

The Commonweath of nations should unanimously put the squeeze to this Jagdeo regime and make them answer to the atrocities that occurring in Guyana!
The EU, US, UK, Canada, et al should withdraw funding for any projects until they come clean.
We all know the PPP regime love to show off the pojects, but without those fundings from donor nations, they will have nothing to show off about.
The Guyana treasury has no funds to fund any projects independetly, so they need these funds from EU, US, UK, Canada et al.
In light of this, the Jagdeo regime should be made to answer by all means!!!

[Reply to this]
bgsbny
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 11:58 am:
i ask u to read my comment and try to put in ur heart something other than race hate ,, it’s like religion ,, it breeds conflict ,, that will ultimately destroy u with a whole lot more than just u ,,the pit becomes deeper as the chasm widens !…………….

[Reply to this]
La vie est bonne!
In reply to the above comment on July 20th, 2008 2:17 pm:
Is there any wonder this regime know it can do what ever it feels because “it’s we time now”. You are a classic example of this. By invoking the race hate card it goes to your midset. So two wrongs make it right.
Guyana will never ever move forward with a regime that think it’s their time now and they can do what ever they want, because the rulers of yesteryear did the same things. Guyana will never heal itself with a regime that continue to be vindicitive to criticisms. It’s intersting that you spout suport for a regime that you don’t live and toil under. You need to awake yourself and smell the stench eminating from your cherished regime! Hope you are enjoying the wonderful democracy of the USA!!!