6th June,
2007.
DEATH
IN CUSTODY IS AN APPALLING TRAGEDY, SAYS FWRM
THE DEATH in custody of a
young Nasinu man is an appalling tragedy, and a product of the current
environment of violence, machismo and illegality, says the Fiji Women s Rights
Movement. Local media reports that Tevita Malasebe was taken into police
custody on Monday night and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Colonial War
Memorial Hospital at 8am the next morning.
It
was heart-wrenching to watch Anisa Nakuila mourn her son on national television
last night and it s something that we should never have to witness because it
should never happen, said FWRM Information & Research Officer, Tara
Chetty.
Police brutality is an issue that has been raised by arrested persons in
the past, but the recent death in custody appears to be the next in a string of
human rights violations following the coup in December 2006. It is
troubling that this death has come after army officers were installed in police
stations around the country.
Malasebe s death follows the deaths of Nimilote Verebasaga and Sakiusa
Rabaka in military custody. With military officers now engaging in
policing, the Movement is concerned that the line between military and police is
becoming blurred. Experience shows that a post-coup environment breeds
machismo, intimidation, fear and violence which is evident in the ongoing human
rights abuses.
Apart from the human rights violations of those in custody, women are also
feeling the impact of the post-coup machismo in their homes. Activists
working in the area of violence against women report that there tends to be an
increase in violence in the home in this environment. In this atmosphere of
renewed suspicion and fear, it is difficult for women and vulnerable groups to
access police protection and legal recourse.
The Movement calls on the police to respect the rule of law and the human
rights of all arrested and detained persons. All suspects must be arrested
and questioned within the bounds of the law, which means without physical threat
or assault and following due legal process.
---ENDS---
For more information contact the Information & Research Officer
Tara Chetty
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