On its continued tour of police and prison cells in Northern and Muchinga Provinces the Human Rights Commission (HRC) visited Isoka Prison on Sunday 18 August 2013. The Commission was appalled by the manner the inmates, especially those on remand are being treated by the prison authorities as well as by fellow inmates.
The prison reportedly experienced a break out where a number of inmates escaped on August 8, 2013. A few of the escapees were recaptured and brought back to prison. Since then, the authorities have resorted to treating suspects in cruel, inhuman and degrading manner, contrary to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the Prisons Act, which outlaws corporal punishment, and the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, which prohibits torture, inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment.
At the time of the HRC inspection male suspects appealed to the Commission for protection as they claimed they would be treated harshly after the Commission had left. The following were their specific complaints:
- That they are locked up in the cells even during the day and are not allowed to go outside of the cells
- Some named officers, including the Officer-in-Charge, subject them to beatings every day using whips made from old motor vehicle tyres. (A number of inmates had scars while others had fresh wounds sustained from the beatings)
- They are denied visits by relatives, which has resulted in some who have been granted bail by the courts to fail to communicate with relatives so that sureties could sign them out. For some, their relatives do not even know that they are in custody. As such, they cannot receive food and/or clothing from their relatives. Some of them have had their clothes torn or burnt (as is the case of one suspect recaptured after the escape). They are wearing tatters.
- They are denied medical attention since they are not allowed out of the cells. The situation is particularly bad for those with fresh wounds, those on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and two who have Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
- They are denied food and are told that the food in prison is meant for the serving convicts. They are therefore at the mercy of some serving inmates who share their food with them.
- The Commission is particularly saddened because during the last inspection of the same prison in 2011, the same Officer-in-Charge was given a verbal warning about the consequences of mistreating inmates following complaints that he was meting out corporal punishment while also encouraging other officers to do the same. Equally disheartening to HRC are the levels of ignorance of the law shown by some officers who argued that they had the right to beat the suspects when they committed offences. One female officer maintained this position even when the Commission attempted to put the record straight.
In view of the above, the Commission calls upon the Prisons Service to urgently follow up this matter and restore order at Isoka Prison.
The Commission recommends that:-
- The Officer-in-Charge and the other officers named be removed from that Prison to prevent further torture of suspects (who literally pleaded for the Commission’s protection even as they lodged their complaints).
- Â An order be made for all the sick inmates to be taken for medication immediately. Alternatively, medical personnel should visit the prison and treat the sick inmates (The Commission spoke to the medical officer for Isoka Hospital to arrange for the treatment of the inmates at the prison and he promised to do so).
- An order be made for the immediate removal of the ban on visitation rights for the suspects to allow them receive visits and food from outside. This ban has been in force since August 8, 2013.
- Â An order be made to the Prison authorities to allow suspects out of the cells and allow them to bath as well as to wash their clothes
- Prison authorities be reminded that every prisoner, convicted or otherwise, has the right to food provided by the state.
Samuel Kasankha
Chief, Information, Education and Training
Building a Sustainable Human Rights Culture Together
Those authorities should not forget the fact that we are all potential prisoners, in bemba they say umulandu mume. Aply UN standerd minimum rules farely on those inmates.
Good recommendations HRC,thats why we need such institutions.We are all human hence the need to treat each other with dignity no matter the circumstance(s).
This makes for a sad reading, how can we allow these guys to treat our fellows brothers like that.The govt needs to serious move in to avert serious loss of life.
I am suddened by this situation and i believe all well meaning Zambians should by worried and speak their minds out.
Those authorities are probably taking the food home to their wives and children. Totally unacceptable. Now they need role reversal and also be punished for their crimes in the very same prison.
I feel sorry and sad for these guys because some of them are wrongly detained and others are hardcores who deserves it.I am posting my comment from experience.
MAKES ME WONDER WHAT MAKES ZAMBIA A CHRISTIAN NATION. BE IT PRISONERS, THEY DESERVE BETTER AND SHOULD BE RESPECTED. THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS. IN A WAY WE CAN NOT BLAME THE OFFICERS, THESE ARE PRISON OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRAINED ON THE WRONGS & RIGHTS. IT’S LACK OF EDUCATION TO HUMAN RIGHTS. MOST PRISON OFFICERS EVEN USE PRISONERS TO FARM IN THEIR PERSONAL FARMS OR OTHER MANUAL LABOR FOR FREE. SEEN IT HAPPEN IN ZAMBIA MAKING OFFICERS CASH IN BIG HARVESTS OF MAIZE WHICH THEY LATER SALE. THAT ALSO IS THEFT & SHOULD BE STOPPED.
OFFICER IN-CHARGE,u a very foolish an ***** those are your fellow human being,lam very touched fikala fyenu
av lived in one of the camps before n av seen PRISONER WARDERS taking food meant for the prisoners home is that food meant for officers or prisoners if so they shud allow inmates to be visited daily so that relatives can provide food for the relatives.
the case has been closed, Lozis you have heard for yourselves even in Muchinga people are suffering
Africans awe mwe… ubuchushi!
This prison is under lock-down because of the breakout, it is a standard procedure in prisons around the world. No visitation and no yard time is allowed until they establish how the convicts or suspects escaped. HRC should have a look at maximum prisons in America or UK instead of outright condemnation of individuals.
These prisoners are dangerous individuals, we have murderers, rapists, armed robbers, child molesters in our prisons and the officers should be commended for good job they are doing. Given any chance, these scum of human beings can easily kill these officers.
Sometimes, I wonder why the rights of the people who are murdered are easily forgotten and no one is seeking justice for them! We should start hanging these killers instead of wasting taxpayers money on them.
Many of them have not been convicted of any crime. Many are not in for violent crimes. Are you saying that the punishment for theft should be murder by denial of food and medical care, and beatings? Human rights! Not “rights for only those we like.”
Treat criminals as humanely as they treated their victims.
And what does that do? Does that make a victim whole again? What about victimless crimes (such as using drugs)? What about those who haven’t been convicted of any crime? If you think that sentencing someone to brutal and unhealthy living conditions works in deterring crimes and making societies healthier, please show me the proof. Because, so far, the evidence is not on your side. Prisons are closed environments, even if all the prisoners are in for life. Diseases spread to the outside communities, and when you’ve spent all your time brutalizing people and then release them into the general public, don’t expect them to be “reformed”. I’d also argue that they have human rights like all of us, but I doubt you have the empathy to understand that.
Prisoners are just like us. Others went in on the grounds of breaking the law while others were just accused. Prisons are meant to be reformation/rehabilitation centres and not places of torture… not what we hear of Zambian prisons. No wonder some of these guys come back to our society worse than they went in.
I strongly feel that these allegations are not fair against the prison authorities. The human rights commission also know that prisoners or remandees are never beaten by prison waders unless it is absolutely necessary. The fact is that there was a break out. And all that the authorities are doing is to establish the cause. The human rights commission should not have visited this prison just after the break out. Which authority would be happy to see prisoners escaping a even if we are all aware that the infrastructure is completely run down so much that anyone can escape easily. Look at mongo prison, mpika prison etc. who can’t escape from such prisons. Be real country men. Such reactions happen everywhere even at boarding schools.
Is this a paid position for Samuel Kasankha? If yes, he should put in more effort to come up with profession documents. His writing skills and not palatable.
Should read “Are not palatable.”
This is unfortunate for both officers and prisoners. Prisons in Zambia are a danger to due, escapes cannot be avoided as prisoners are tempted to do that due to old infrastructure and the officers need to keep their jobs hence the treatment perceived as inhumane. The Human Rights Commission in trying to show its relevance in Zambia also issues irrelevant statements. This is a problem for everyone as just talking and harshly commenting will not help, let the Government finish its works on improving the prisons infrastructure then we can be talking of respect of Human Rights.
respect human rights, all those inmates have a story about how they ended up there. just because you are sitting on a sofa layed back sipping lemonade doesnt make you superior to others, we are all humans, with the full possibility of experiencing hell on earth at any point in life. have some sympathy people and deal with issues accordingly so that you dont walk around with dirty hands.