Pakistan: Prison officials remain unpunished despite torturing inmates by taping their male organs
Reposted from Asian Human Rights Commission | Oct 21, 2010 | Petition details; AHRC website; link to appeal
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-166-2010
21 October 2010
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PAKISTAN: Prison officials remain unpunished despite torturing inmates by taping their male organs
ISSUES: Torture, ill-treatment, death penalty, maltreatment of prisoners, impunity
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Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and other rights groups about brutal form of torture to the prisoners. The male organ of three prisoners were taped for many hours in such a way that they could no longer urinate. Each was then forced to drink three to four litres of water. The jail dispenser subsequently administered each of the prisoners injections after which they started vomiting and had a strong urge to urinate. The three prisoners developed renal ailments as a result of the torture and one has also developed an infection of the urinary tract. Another prisoner was punished and detained in solitary cell apparently because the jail authorities presumed he had leaked the information of torture.
No prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation has yet been started by the Punjab provincial government. The prisoners are still denied the right to meet human rights organisations.
CASE NARRATIVE:
According to the information received, at the beginning of August 2010, the prison staff of Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province, started a search of the cells of death-row inmates apparently to recover mobile phones. In this context, about 20 prisoners were brought out of their cells and beaten up. Three men, namely Mr. Muzzammil Shah, Mr. Ghulam Hussain and Mr. Muhammad Javed, were severely tortured after a cell phone was allegedly recovered from Mr. Muhammad Javed. The latter, who is undergoing a five-year prison term at Toba Tek Singh District Prison had been assigned to take food to death row inmates, reportedly gave the names of two death row inmates, Mr. Muzzammil Shah and Mr. Ghulam Hussain, after being tortured to obtain information on who had used that phone. Mr. Muzzammil Shah and Mr. Ghulam Hussain were subsequently tortured. They denied having used the cell phone.
It is reported that Mr. Muzzammil Shah, Mr. Ghulam Hussain and Mr. Muhammad Javed were subjected to the severe torture. They were allegedly stripped naked and their male organs were taped in such a way that they could no longer urinate. Each was then forced to drink three to four litres of water. The jail dispenser subsequently administered each of them injections after which they started vomiting and had a strong urge to urinate. The tape around their organs was only removed a few hours later. Mr. Muzzammil Shah and Mr. Ghulam Hussain allegedly lost consciousness at least three occasions during the period of torture.
The three aforementioned men have reportedly developed renal ailments and one has also developed a urinary tract infection as a result of the acts of torture and ill-treatment. It is alleged that none of them has received adequate medical treatment and no response has yet been given to a request made by the Pakistan-based human rights NGO, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, to the prison authorities to visit the three men.
Furthermore, according to the information, to date, there has been no effective investigation conducted by the relevant authorities into the aforementioned allegations.
One death-row prisoner Mr. Farrukh Akram has been placed in a solitary confinement cell because the jail authorities suspected that he informed the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons about the torture when he visited the jail on 9 October 2010.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Torture in custody in Pakistan is endemic because of the absence of any law against torture which provides impunity to the perpetrators.
Torture in custody is a serious problem affecting the rule of law in Pakistan. It is used as the most common means to obtain confessional statements. As yet, there has been no serious effort by the government to make torture a crime in the country. The State authorities provide impunity to the perpetrators who are mostly either policemen or members of the armed forces. Furthermore, there is no means for the protection of witnesses. This discourages victims from making complaints. While the international jurisprudence on the issue has evolved into very high standards, the actual situation in Pakistan resembles that of the stone-age.
Pakistan has also ratified the UN Convention against Torture (CAT) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) but with many reservations on the CAT. This action of the government gives free hand to the law enforcement agencies to torture the persons in custody.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities urging them to hold a judicial enquiry into the case of torture and ill-treatment, and to undertake and impartial investigation in this regard in order to identify all those responsible, and prosecute them. Please also urge upon the authorities to provide medical treatment and compensation to the victims.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment calling for his intervention into this case.
To support this appeal, please click here:
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear __________,
PAKISTAN: Prison officials remain unpunished despite torturing inmates by taping their male organs
Name of victims:
1.Mr. Muzzammil Shah, Prisoner in death row, Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province
2.Mr. Ghulam Hussain, Prisoner in death row, Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province
3.Mr. Muhammad Javed, Prisoner,Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province
4.Mr. Farrukh Akram, Prisoner in death row, Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province
5. Other 20 prisoners of Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province
Alleged perpetrators: Officials of Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province
Date of incident: August 2010
Place of incident: Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the heinous torture and ill-treatment of more than 20 prisoners in the district prison of Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province wherein three prisoners went through the severe torture of having their male organs taped to prevent them from urinating. This cruel and inhuman act was apparently done as a punishment.
I am shocked to know that the Punjab provincial government has not initiated any action to investigate the incident of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners though the incident was held in first week of August 2010.
The information I have received narrates the facts that at the beginning of August 2010, the prison staff of Toba Tek Singh District Prison, Punjab province, started a search of cells of death-row inmates apparently to recover mobile phones. In this context, about 20 prisoners were brought out of their cells and beaten up. Three men, namely Mr. Muzzammil Shah, Mr. Ghulam Hussain and Mr. Muhammad Javed, were severely tortured after a cell phone was allegedly recovered from Mr. Muhammad Javed. This latter, who is undergoing a five-year prison term at Toba Tek Singh District Prison had been assigned to take food to death row inmates within his activities at the prison's kitchen, reportedly gave the names of two death row inmates, Mr. Muzzammil Shah and Mr. Ghulam Hussain, after being tortured to obtain information on who had used that phone. Mr. Muzzammil Shah and Mr. Ghulam Hussain were subsequently tortured. They denied having used the cell phone.
It is shocking that the torture was continued to get confessional statements. Mr. Muzzammil Shah, Mr. Ghulam Hussain and Mr. Muhammad Javed were allegedly stripped naked and their male organ was taped in such a way that they could no longer urinate. Each was then forced to drink three to four litres of water. The jail dispenser subsequently administered each of them injections after which they started vomiting and had a strong urge to urinate. The tape around their male organ was only removed a few hours later. Mr. Muzzammil Shah and Mr. Ghulam Hussain allegedly lost consciousness at least three during the torture.
The three aforementioned men have reportedly developed renal ailments and one has also developed a urinary tract infection as a result of the acts of torture and ill-treatment. It has been alleged that none of them has received adequate medical assistance and no response has yet been given to a request made by the Pakistan-based human rights NGO, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, to the prison authorities to visit the three men.
One death-row prisoner Mr. Farrukh Akram has been placed in the solitary confinement cell because the jail authorities presumed that he has informed the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons about the torture when he visited the jail on 9 October 2010.
The apathy to this kind of medieval practice of torture was that to date, there has been no effective investigation conducted by the relevant authorities into the aforementioned allegations.
I urge you to effectively ensure the physical and psychological integrity of all persons deprived of liberty in accordance with international human rights law, and in particular the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both ratified by Pakistan and which prohibit torture and ill-treatment.
It is the right of victims of torture and ill-treatment that they must be ensured an effective remedy for the human rights violations suffered as well as the right to full redress, including compensation and rehabilitation.
I also urge that death penalty should be abolished from the constitution as government has nullified all the amendments made in the constitution by the military dictators through 18th amendment.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari President of Pakistan President's Secretariat Islamabad PAKISTAN Tel: 92-51-9204801-9214171 Fax 92-51-9207458 Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani Prime Minister Prime Minister House Islamabad PAKISTAN Fax: +92 51 922 1596 Tel: +92 51 920 6111 /+92 51 920 6111 /+92 51 920 6111 /+92 51 920 6111 /+92 51 920 6111 E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
3. Mr.Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani Federal Minister for Human Rights Ministry of Human Rights Old US Aid building Ata Turk Avenue G-5, Islamabad PAKISTAN Fax: +92 51 9204108 Email: sarfraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
4. Mr. Salman Taseer Governor of Punjab Governor House Mall Road Lahore PAKISTAN Fax: +92 42 99203044 Email: governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk
5. Mr Nasir Mehmood Khosa, Chief Secretary of Government of Punjab Punjab Secretariat Lahore PAKISTAN Fax: +92 42 7324489 E-mail: chiefsecy@punjab.gov.pk
6. Mr. Rana Sana Ullah Minister of Law Government of Punjab Punjab Secretariat Ravi Road Lahore PAKISTAN Fax: +92 42 99212004 E-mail: law@punjab.gov.pk
7. Dr. Faqir Hussain Registrar Supreme Court of Pakistan Constitution Avenue, Islamabad PAKISTAN Fax: + 92 51 9213452 E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
8. Mr. Tariq Saleem Inspector-General of Police, Punjab Police Head Office, Lahore, Punjab province PAKISTAN Fax: +92 42 99210064
9. Permanent Mission of Pakistan United Nations in Geneva, Rue de Moillebeau 56, P.O. Box 434, 1211 Geneva 19 SWITZERLAND Fax: +41 22 734 80 85, Email: mission.pakistan@ties.itu.int
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
