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The Crime of E S G
By: Richard Wu Mei De
From: F--6 / Unit--2, Maafushi Jail, Maldives
Time: February 2008
A serious crime of brutally torturing prisoners by a newly established force in Maafushi Jail of Maldives named Emergency Support Group [ESG] is frequently taken place in Maafushi Jail since November 2007. I have been subjected to such brutal physical torture on 14th January 2008. Such systematic rights abuse would have to be rooted out following serious consideration of international diplomacy.
At 6:00 pm of 14th January 2008, we three prisoners who were in the cell of F-6/Unit-2 in Maafushi Jail had been told to come out from the cell for a work of fixing a fan in the cell. It was only for waiting outside of the cell door during this short time’s work, a member of ESG put hand cuff on me so tightly that the hand cuff cut into the skin of my right wrist.
On the spot, I complained against such extreme unreasonable tighten way of putting hand cuff on me. I resisted letting him to put hand cuff on my left hand before losing the extreme tightness of right hand. Then other three ESG men came up there together put hand cuff on my left hand and brought me to their team leader who was in Unit-2 area at that time.
I explained to the team leader how the problem arise as it was due to the extreme unreasonable tight way of putting hand cuff on my right hand. He replied me that it was not a problem. He only changed my hand cuff from front side to back side and ordered to keep me behind a building. Then he took out his mobile phone to contact the jail office for this. I realized that this extreme tight way of putting hand cuff on me was a well designed trick for reach something ales.
Shortly after, a senior ESG officer named Amvaru headed a special ESG team of six members to bring me to isolation cell area by a van. I was tortured inside the van. After the van reached there, my body was being drugged on the flour with my hands being cuffed behind me.
I was putted on a finger cuff behind other than a hand cuff since waiting for opening the gate of C- area of Unit -1. I was tortured during the waiting time. After they brought me to inside of C- area of Unit-1, I was subjected to the worst physical torture which I ever suffered in my life both in dressed and naked state. I received so many cuffs and kicks all over my body, on my face. My head was hit on a wall repeatedly by someone pushing hardly from behind. The torture caused so much swellings and bruises all over my body, on my face and head…Such condition I have only seen from the photos of Even Naseem and Hussain Solar, those prisoners who were tortured to their death in prison of Maldives.
Four days later, the in charge of isolation area [Unit-1], informed me that I should be in isolation for 30 days before send me back to Unit-2. The purpose of keeping me 30 days in isolation cell might be as to recovery my swelling and broses caused by the hit, since such hitting swellings and bruises can naturally going off within 30 days time. In such a case no one of prisoners can witness to prove the extent of how I was tortured. But the extreme tighten putting hand cuff on me and beating me up on the point where the hand cuff was, has caused three traumatic bruises cannot be removed from the skin of my right wrist and there is great possibility of the bone of my right wrist was broken or creaked. This can prove the extent of how I was put hand cuff and how I was beaten up without the witnesses.
I met the first person who had been tortured by ESG was prisoner named Aness, when I was strangely brought from A-2,Unit-1 to F-6Unit -2 by ESG on 6th January 2008 while I was ready to shift from A-2,Unit-1 to the B-area of Unit-1 as the in charge of Unit-1 at that time Mr. Shakel has informed me.
I met the second person who has been tortured by ESG was prisoner Ali Amzan when he was brought to F-6 of Unit -2 after he spent 9 days in C-2 Unit-1 as a punishment of isolation.
Both of them were put finger cuff from behind other than a hand cuff during they were tortured. Both of them were tortured by electrical shocker as addition to the cuffs and kicks. Aness was tortured behind a building in Unit-2 before brought him back to the same cell of F-6 of unit-2. Ali Amzan was tortured in C-area of Unit-1 and spent 9 days in C-2 of Unit-1 as a punishment of isolation before brought him to F-6 of Unit-2.
Many prisoners have been subjected to similar torture like both of them. Ali Amzan and a number of other prisoners were cut zero of their heir by force of ESG while there is no rule in the jail to limit the length of prisoner’s heir.
After I have been kept in isolation cell of C-9 of Unit-1 since 14th January 2008, I came to know that there were so many prisoners had been tortured by ESG since November 2007. Some of them were brought from other areas of the jail to C-area of Unit-1, like me. Some of them were directly brought from Male to Jail; Some were tortured once more than one hour, One of prisoner named Zabir Ahmed was tortured by ESG repeatedly for seven times within a period of two and half months.
During a period of 30 days I spent in the isolation cell of C-2 Unit-1, I have several times heard the voices of torturing prisoners those who came to C- area of Unit-1 after me. Even after an international action for ESG torturing prisoner was taken on 23rd January 2008 and Maldivian Home Minister came to the Jail for settling the problem of ESG torturing prisoners on 9th February 2008, at the same evening of the Home Minister came, I have heard the voices of a prisoner was tortured inside of C-area of Unit-1.
The extent of torturing was instructed by the Jail administration. The ESG only acted as the tool of torturing to carry out the order of the jail administration.
During beating up prisoners, ESG used to ask the prisoner who was being tortured about “SIZE”. They often announced that the size of prisoner is zero; the size of ESG is unlimited. They have been empowered to beat any prisoner, at any time, any place, in any manner they liked. ESG does not need afraid of doing anything to prisoners; the prisoners have to accept whatever ESG do to them without saying a word. ESG wants prisoners to justify this” SIZE’.
It happened: ESG took out some prisoners in B and C area of Unit-1 in the middle of night only for beating them up.
It happened: ESG went into a cell in Unit-2 in a night to beat up a prisoner who was along in the cell, while the prisoners in nearby cells could hear the voice of beating.
It happened: ESG beating up a prisoner inside of the Jail Medical Centre in the presence of a foreign doctor and some other medical men. The doctor and medical man have to turn their faces from seeing the beating, but ESG was not afraid of committing crime of beating up prisoners in front the doctor and medical men.
The government used to go through various ways to enlarge the “size” of ESG and raising them up to a special position.
ESG used to recue its new members from remote islands for avoiding its members may afraid of prisoners to take revenge on their family after ESG beating up prisoners.
ESG is neither Police force nor police star force, but they have been empowered to use some new equipments which I have never seen the police force or the police star force used on prisoners during my past 15years imprisonment in Maldives, such as finger cuff and electric shocker…
On 19th January 2008, when a new batch of ESG has completed their training, the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Abdulla Kamaludheen, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr.Abudlla Riyaz, the Special Adviser of President Mr. Umru Zahir came to the jail to attend the ceremony of presenting the certificate of ESG membership to the new batch. This indicated why ESG has such special position and “size”, why ESG is not afraid of openly committing crime of beating up prisoners.
Government used to provide ordinary member of ESG with monthly salary as high as 8000 MRF and some other benefits, provide officers with of ESG with much higher payment and some other better benefits according to their position to attract them willingly doing such brutal dirty work for the need of the government.
According to ECG members, the very high monthly salary for the head of ESG Mr. Mohamed Hushan is just a very small part of his detailed ways of making money from his position. From that recently Mohamed Hushan invested millions to built two big good standard fishing boats which are far from possibility in his legal income can do so. His few corruption cases were widely talked in the jail by both government’s staffs and prisoners:
In the middle of 2006, the International Committee of Red Cross donated some TV sets for Unit-2 area prisoners to have a TV program which was organized and promised at that time. But the prisoners have never gotten those facilities. Mohamed Hushan took those TV for his personal gain.
A good amount of 23.000 MRF for staffs who doing some extra work was eaten by Mohamed Hushan, large number of staffs together signed a petition for this issue. But Mohamed Hushan did not face problem for these staff’s money, the staff who signed petition were facing problem from him.
The government has arranged for the family of Mr. Mohamed Hushan to live in abroad and also Mohamed Hushan can spend his holiday in abroad with his family, In such a way the government insure the boss of torturing has no worry of any problem may come up to him for doing this brutal dirty work. By providing him with all those special arrangement, ever if any legal problem might come up, Mohamed hushan can easily escape from the county with enough money and safety of his family.
President Maumoon empowered Mr. Mohamed Hushan and a group of former National Cadet Corp to take over the main position of administration in Maafushi jail in January 2006 for carrying out his new deception of killing me under the guise of other then the government killing me. Because UN made the President Maumoon has to take full legal responsibility for my life safety during the pending period of UN investigation of my issue.
Though President Maumoon has tried so many deceptions to get rid of me which is the only possible chance for him to escape from facing justice, but all failed to success.
President Maumoon could not word off the investigation of UN for my issue. There is limitation for delaying of the restarting UN investigation. He has to resort new sauce and new way to get rid of me for his escape.
As soon as Mr. Mohamed Hushan and his group took over the administration of Maafushi jail on 19th January 2006, they have tried several times, in several different ways to carry out the new deception of the President to kill me under guise of other then the government killing me.
On 3rd February 2006 Mr. Mohamed Hushan and his group failed to success a well designed attacking on me through Maldivian prisoners. This attempt made me always keep myself no mixing together with Maldivian prisoners since then. But the jail administration through a long way recreated the condition to resort as Maldivian prisoners can attack me since the middle of 2007. Due to that situation, I wrote a letter to the Home Minister Mr. Abdula Kamaradin on 5th July 2007 and met with the chief officer of the jail Mr. Asif on 21st of august 2007 demanding to provide me condition to be safe from possible attacking like before.
At the night of 4th September 2007 a large force of more than 50 ESG men drugged me to A-area of Unit-1 for I was unwilling to go into the condition of mixing together with Maldivian prisoners in which the government can try to use Maldivian prisoners to attacking me under the guise of personal disagreement as what had happened in February 2006.
Though for drugging me to A-area of Unit-1, the government used a large force of ESG, but the government was very carefully avoiding to be blamed for physically torturing me. They used a video camera focusing on me all the time from the beginning came into the cell F-5 of Unit-2 to put hand cuff on me in behind and drugging me out until they locked me up into the cell A-2 of Unit-1.
After I was locked up into isolation cell A-2 of Unit-1, the government denied giving me any of my personal belongings unless I would accept the condition to mix together with Maldivian prisoners.
From 12th September 2007, government began to open the door of all isolation cells in A-area of Unit-1 for three hours during afternoon, in the October was increased to four hours a day. I remained my cell door closed for not mixing together with Maldivian prisoners until I was taken back to Unit-2 by force of ESG on 6th January 2008 for a new way of attacking on me.
On 19th September 2007, UN sent an official note to the representative of Maldivian government in UN Dr. Latheef for issue of my endangered personal safety and my ill-treatment in the jail. On the 21st September 2007 Chinese Prime Minister took official steps for the same problem. After that I only got few of my things back, but most of my belongings were still not allowed to give me unless I would be willing to mix together with Maldivian Prisoners.
The international action in September 2007 and my way of stuck on never mixing together with Maldivian prisoners in my own willingness even I have to suffer much from lack of basic living needs made this new deception of using Maldivian prisoners to attack me again failed. An UN investigation team came to Maldives again on 4th May 2007 to resume the investigation of my issue after the end of the dead line of pending period. It’s clearly show the policy and determination of UN in my issue.
The time is running out for president Maumoon to escape from facing justice. In his extreme desperate condition, he took big risk to resort ESG beating me up for scaring me away.
The strategy of president Maumoon in taking great risk to use government people beating me up was that there is no much difference for president Maumoon in his legal responsibility of my issue when UN investigation team reaches me that so many serious crimes done to me in past 15 years will come out. The crime of ESG beating me would be only one of many. It is worth for him to take this risk trying again.
President Maumoon first created an environment of that ESG can beat anyone, any time, in any manner they like to reach the target of beating me up naturally. After very hardly beating me up and keeping the pressure on that I can be possibly beaten again any time by ESG. By chance may be able to scare me away. Even if cannot scare me away. President Maumoon would use the excuse of that ESG has beaten many prisoners, not specific to me only.
In late December 2007, a Maldivian prisoner who I knew little came to A-area of Unit-1, He advised me between the bar of my cell to push up my issue of such long years illegal imprisonment in Maldives through making a hunger strike in the jail, otherwise I may have to stay another 15 years in the jail. I explained him the reason of why I would not do so.
In December 2007, I completed the second draft of a more than 90 paged report titled: The Route of Escape to expose many hidden dirty tricks that were played by President Maumoon behind outlook of many events took place in Maldives which related to my issue. For my principle of fighting against oppression, injustice and lawlessness in issue of my long illegal imprisonment in Maldives, I decided to release the report only after the completion of constitution reform in Maldives. I informed why I would have to delay releasing the report, in writing, to the head of administration in Maafushi jail at that time Mr. Asif on 3rd January 2008 with a copy of two parts of the report.
On 6th January 2008, I was very strangely taken from A-2 of Unit-1 to F-6 of Unit-2 by force of ESG without giving me a reason while I was ready to shift from A-2 of Unit-1 to B-area of Unit-1 as the in charge of Unit-1 informed me.
After I was taken to Unit-2, I came to know that there were about 227 prisoners in Unit-2 on a hunger strike since the morning. I realized that the government tried to use the opptunity of the prisoner’s hunger strike in Unit-2 to reach their target of get rid of me in one way or other under the guise of other than the government to be blamed. The purpose of trough ESG took me back to Unit-2 was for separating me from every my basic living things, not even tooth brash and changing cloths, in such a way tried to push me to get into the hunger strike.
My torolance on the great difficulties made the trick of pushing me hanger stricken again failed. After nine days I lived in F-6 ofUnit-2 without providing me changing cloths and tooth brush, finally the government resorted to use ESG beating me up.
No matter how tricky excuses the government of Maldives would be made by. Anyone who has common knowledge would know that such physical torture can never happen to me without the order from the president Maumoon and through the arrangement of the Home Minister. Because all concerned administration in Maldivian authorities perfectly know that my imprisonment in Maldives is a very serious international issue which concerned by UN and Chinese top leaders. In late 1999 Chinese President and the Chairman of Chinese Parliament specially visited Maldives for my issue. In 2001, When Chinese Prime Minister came to visit Maldives during his south Asian trap; my issue was one of major issue between two governments. In May 2003 Chinese government filed a case in International Court of Justice [ICJ] for my long arbitrary dentition in Maldives. In June 2003 ICJ began to launch investigation on my issue. After the shooting tragedy took place in Maafushi Jail in September 2003, UN made President Maumoon to agree the condition for the pending ICJ investigation of my issue that I should be free from any ill-treatment and I should be provided with best condition available in the jail, during the pending period of ICJ investigation of my issue, because my innocence was proven in meeting with ICJ standard. Now a UN investigation team has been waiting in Maldives since 4th May 2007 to resume the ICJ probe of my issue. In September 2007, UN and Chinese Prime Minister took official action for my complaining of endanger personal safety and ill-treatment in the jai. On 12th December 2007, a team of UN Subcommittee on Privation of Torture and Other Form of Ill-treatment [SPT] visited the jail to examine treatment of the prisoners. During their visit in the jail, some complaints from Maldivian prisoners regarding ESG beating prisoners were made to SPT in my presence. Maldives is part of International Convention against Torture, Maldives is also one of 34 nations in the world had ratified the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. Therefore SPT would recommend immediate change on the serious problem of torturing prisoners to the government of Maldives. SPT would came back to check the situation on the recommendation after six months. There is no way that president Maumoon can make any excuse for such torture has happened to me without his order.
There were some more reason to cause president Maumoon becoming extreme desperate other than UN special investigation team has been waiting in Maldives since 4th May 2007.
In September 2007, for responding to high pressure on forcing me mixing together with Maldivian prisoners, an international complaint was made and my report titled: The Checkmate for Mr. Maumoon with some other related documents were published internationally. This made the situation of my issue become irreversible that the issue has to be settled through the international tribunal at the end of ICJ investigation.
In December 2007, a member of Maldivian Parliament talked about the issue of my 15 years arbitrary imprisonment in Maldives in a parliamentary session. It came to Maldivian media to become a political pressure directly threaten president Maumoon within Maldives.
The government came to know that I am going to release the report of The Route of Escape as soon as the work on constitution amendment is completed.
Though I have been subjected to several physical tortures in past 15 years arbitrary imprisonment in Maldives, but this time is the worst of all. After 30 days I spent in isolation cell, there was a blue bruise in size of three ages still did not fully go off from the up part of my right leg. A number of prisoners in Unit-2 were willing to witness for what they have seen on the up part of my right leg when I returned back to Unit-2 after spent 30 days in isolation cell. By that, anyone can understand how serious injuries I had on my body at the 30 days back.
The legal responsibility for such systematic crime should be bare not only by the members of ESG, those who directly did torture, but also has to be bare by those higher officials of the government administration and the president, those who authorizing, organizing and ordering such crime against the legal rights of prisoners.
Gather together the view point of the victim of ESG torturing and with my own viewpoint, as one of the victim. I listed out following demands to the consideration of international community, The People’s Majlis of Maldives, Maldivian political parties, Maldivian Human Rights Commission, Maldivian Human Rights NGOs, Maldivian Civil Service Commission and Anti Corruption Board of Maldives
[ 1]. Establishing an international-Maldivian joined special committee to conduct a thorough investigation on the issue of the new instrument of ESG brutal beating prisoners which has been taken place at the time of near completing the Democratic Reform and human rights enhancement in Maldives. Especially at the time after SPT of UN visited the jail in December 2007 to find out the involvement of highest Maldivian authority in this systematic crime taken place in the jail.
[ 2 ]. Clarification on the legality and power acts of the establishment for the new institution of ESG.
[ 3 ]. Providing chances and way for every victim of ESG torturing to identify out every ESG member who committed crime of torturing prisoner.
[ 4 ]. Taking proper legal action against anyone who should be responsible for the crime of abusing prisoners in authorizing, organizing, ordering and torturing. The solution of redressing the abused rights of the victim should be found through legal process, it should not be driven to the solution of personal revenge.
[ 5 ]. Providing independent medical examination for any victim of ESG torturing who need to find out the real state of their injuries
[ 6 ]. Redressing the rights, damages and suffering of every victim of ESG torturing meeting with human rights standard and in providence of legal assistance for every victim.
[ 7 ]. Reporting the issue of ESG torturing to concerned international human rights organization.
[ 8 ]. Unveiling the issue of ESG torturing to the knowledge of general public of Maldives through media.
[ 9 ]. Establishing a proper system to protect the legal rights of prisoners. Totally rooting out the condition of such systematic rights abuse can take place in future.
I call for international community and international media, Maldivian community and Maldivian media to notes the meaning and seriousness of such systematic crime took place at the time near to complete democratic reform and human rights enhancement in Maldives, especially at the time after SPT of UN visited the jail.
I call for strong condemnation against this brutal act of current government of Maldives.
I call for everyone who loves to enhance human rights in Maldives to contribute effort and exert all yourselves authority to root out the condition of such systematic rights abuse that can be toke place in future of Maldives.
< END >
NOTE: This Report Is rewritten after it has been take by the force of ESG on 18th February 2008 with some other documents.
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