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| NEWS > 07 June 2008 |
Other related articles:
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Haredim accuse police of excessive violence during recent Jerusalem anti-parade rallies; police officers treated ultra-Orthodox like common criminals,” resident says. J’lem police chief: Decision on whether to authorize parade early next week
A Jerusalem haredi who took part in the anti-gay parade rally Thursday told Ynet, “A lot of blood could have been saved had Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco decided to call off the parade.
“I witnessed unprecedented violence here toward people who were merely on their way to buy fish, fruits and vegetables,” the haredi man contin... Read more
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Minivan News - Scottsdale,AZ,U
07 June 2008
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Maldives: Detainee Beaten Unco
Police knocked out several teeth of a 39-year-old detainee whilst beating him “from evening to sunrise” at the Atolhuvehi detention centre in the capital, Malé, according to family members, and only offered him hospital treatment four days after the injury took place.
Police say Yousef Naeem bit a police officer during his detention, and have now published photos of the injury on their website, one week after the incident.
But according to relatives, Yousef says the bite was inflicted in self-defence as the police officer tried to strangle him, although the detainee added it was difficult for him to remember, as he had lost consciousness intermittently during the beating.
Arrest
Police arrested Yousef at around 6.30pm on 25 May from his house on drug-related charges, according to the family, and took him to Atolhuvehi detention centre for interrogation.
Later that night a group of around 15 uniformed officers returned to his family’s house, saying he had been released mistakenly, relatives said. They did not search the house.
But relatives told police they believed he was still at Atolhuvehi, as he had not returned home.
Family members called police the next morning, and were then told Yousef had been in Atolvelhi all night. They provided no explanation for the night visit.
The family also contacted home minister Abdullah Kamaldeen, who said he would send someone to investigate.
Yousef later told family members he had been taken to Atolhuvehi, then driven to police headquarters in the Shaheed Adam Hussein building. He had been shown to police on duty there, he said, before being taken back to Atolhuvehi.
On the way back to Atolhuvehi, officers allegedly told Yousef the next shift of officers at the detention centre were “vicious” and said Yousef would be “erased” by them. He was then severely beaten by Atolhuvehi officers, he says.
Police would not comment on the case to Minivan News.
Alleged Brutality
Police told family members they could only visit Yousef once the investigation was over. On 2 June – more than one week after the alleged beating – family members were given permission to see him.
At the meeting, his niece said he looked “very weak and scared” and relatives could see glue holding his bottom front teeth in place. He also had scars on his legs, arms and hands.
According to his niece, Yousef told her that on the night of his arrest, after being driven to police headquarters and back to Atolvelhi, he was then subjected to beatings from 11.30pm to sunrise.
He claims he was stripped naked, cross-cuffed with an arm chained to the opposite leg, and beaten in the dark. He believes he was beaten by officers from the national drug enforcement unit (DEU).
At one point, Yousef told family, one guard put his arm around his neck to strangle him, and Yousef believes he bit the officer. He said one officer then kicked him in the mouth with his boot, causing his front teeth to fall out.
“Disobedience”
Claiming he had fallen unconscious due to the intermittent beatings, also experiencing seizures, Yousef told family he had also been forced at one point to stay in a squat position for an hour.
At the family visit, a head police officer told the family the force knew about the beating and were investigating it. Another officer of lower rank allegedly confirmed Yousef had been mistreated, saying some of the beating may have been caught on CCTV.
On Thursday, police published photos of the bite-mark received by the police officer on his upper arm. Saying Yousef had been guilty of “disobedience to a police officer” and “bitten and injured” the officer, they also published his criminal record, listing ten offences.
The article confirms Yousef’s arrest on 25 May and says one rubber container of suspected narcotics was found at his home. It also says his urine tested positive for opiates.
But family members say the officer in charge of the investigation told them on 28 May the “matter of why he had been brought in had been resolved”, and the only outstanding issue at the time was the allegation of him biting an officer.
Treatment
Yousef was brought to Malé’s Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital hospital on 29 May, although the family was not informed. His teeth were glued back in during this visit.
In a prescription letter, a doctor wrote Yousef’s teeth had been damaged due to a “seizure”, and he was given antibiotics.
Relatives said he had been “deluded” or delirious for four days after the incident, but had not received treatment. They say a witness also visited them to say he saw Yousef being beaten.
Following the family visit, police allowed Yousef to be taken to the private ADK hospital for treatment, where a doctor told members of the family his teeth had been weakened due to chewing on Maldivian foah nuts.
An ADK physician also checked Yousef after he complained of chest pains, but said he had no serious problems. Relatives now say they are seeking another expert opinion, concerned Yousef may have an infection in his mouth.
The family has also complained to the human rights commission (HRCM) once a day for three days. The HRCM have now taken a statement, according to the family.
They have also complained to the police integrity commission. But though the commission has been operating for eight months, they reportedly told family members they had not yet hired any employees. It is unclear whether the police integrity commission intends to take action.
Custodial Deaths
When contacted by family, Kamaldeen said he was concerned due to apparent similarities with the death of Hussein Solah, according to Yousef’s family.
Hussein Solah’s bruised body was found in Malé’s harbour in March 2007. He is widely believed to have died in police hands, although police say they had released him from custody. CCTV cameras were not working during the alleged hours of Solah’s release.
Yousef’s family are also related to 19-year-old Ali Shaahir, who died in 2003 whilst in prison. The death went unreported by the mainstream Maldivian media at the time but pictures of his severely bruised body later became public.
Yousef’s niece said that “it is the cops’ responsibility to take care of him [Yousef] whilst in custody”, and said they were “angry” he had been mistreated.
“The scariest part is that they came back that night to look for him. As if they were trying to pretend he had been released or drowned or whatever,” she added.
Family say they have been refused another meeting with Yousef because three groups of their family saw him on 2 June, which police say used up their quota of three visits for the month.
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