Commissioner of Prisons denies allegations of brutality against detainees

The Commissioner of Prisons, Abdulla Munaz, has denied allegations of brutality against inmates.

Maldives Corrections Service (MCS) held a press briefing on Wednesday to address allegations of abuse against inmates during an incident at Maafushi prison on 5th January.

Munaz explained that detainees kept under remand inside one of the jail units threw chilli infused water at corrections officers on Friday, January 3rd. He stated that he ordered the officers to refrain from going inside the unit in order to ascertain whether the detainee's behaviour was prompted by the officers.

According to Munaz, the unit was searched on Sunday after investigations found that corrections officers were not at fault during the incident on Friday. However, the detainees were uncooperative with the officers and that the detainees attempted to confront the officers, forcing the officers to pepper spray them. As such, this statement contradicts the earlier press release by MSC denying that any confrontation took place or that any force was used either.

Elaborating further, Munaz stated that after the chilli-infused water incident, detainees from six other units joined in to exacerbate the situation and that a scuffle also took place in the detention facility in Male' City. As such, a bedsheet was set on fire and then thrown out from inside a prison cell at the detention facility in Male' City in an attempt to support and participate in the riots at Maafushi prison.

Addressing the pictures and videos depicting Munaz overlooking corrections officers making detainees kneel in the yard of the facility that has been circulating on social media, Munaz claimed that the corrections officers were actually helping the detainees rinse their eyes from pepper spray and that the police officers accompanying him were there as he was in a meeting with them at the time of the incident.

He also denied ever stating that corrections officers are allowed to use force. He claimed that while corrections officers are allowed to use force or spray water at the inmates to remove anything they may have in their possession, the corrections officers choose not to do so as to refrain from provoking the inmate or escalating the situation.

As such, Munaz did not deny that the police officers were not there to conduct an investigation or operation.

While stating that corrections officers aim to rehabilitate inmates instead of punishing them, Munaz asserted that no force beyond legally authorised limits was used and that attempts were made to solve the situation through mediation.

In response to allegations of an unauthorised release of a detainee in remand, Munaz claimed that nothing illegal took place in that incident either.

As for concerns raised in regard to the safety of former President Abdulla Yameen, who is serving five years in prison for money laundering charges, Munaz guaranteed that all prisoners at the facility, including the former president, are "100% safe".

While Munaz has guaranteed the former president's safety, the opposition coalition, comprised of Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC) released a statement on Monday condemning the incident, adding that there is a huge concern for the safety of the former president.

Many journalists at the press conference expressed their concerns as Munaz did not answer many of their questions.