HRCM accuses MCS of sharing false information
The commission has launched investigations into the conflict between inmates and corrections officers at Maafushi prison
Senior officials of Maldives Correctional Service
Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has accused Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) of sharing false information in addition to not co-operating with the commission's investigations.
According to a press release by HRCM, the commission has launched investigations into the conflict between inmates and corrections officers at Maafushi prison that has surfaced over the past week. They state that the commission has visited the prison to asses the general situation, and interviewed inmates, senior corrections officers, and staff.
HRCM revealed that the recent conflict was prompted by corrections officers neglecting to attend to the necessary basic needs of inmates. These include long delays in trials, and meeting the medical needs of prisoners within an appropriate time period.
Highlighting the hunger strike by inmates at Maafushi prison and the fires set in three locations of Male' City prison, HRCM stated that MCS did not co-operate with their investigation accordingly.
As such, during a press conference on Wednesday, Commissioner of Prisons, Abdulla Munaz claimed that corrections officers did not use disproportionate force to deal with inmates. Further, he said that corrections officers aim to rehabilitate inmates instead of punishing them, asserting that no force beyond legally authorised limits was used and that attempts were made to resolve the conflict through mediation.
