Coronavirus: Amnesty International calls for protection of detainees at risk of virus

20 Avril 2020

Dakar, Senegal, April 20 (Infosplusgabon) - Human rights advocate Amnesty International is asking authorities in sub-Saharan Africa to take urgent action to protect people in detention from COVID-19 (coronavirus), including releasing prisoners of conscience, reviewing cases of pre-trial detention, and guaranteeing access to healthcare and sanitation products in all facilities.

“As COVID-19 spreads across sub-Saharan Africa, the severe overcrowding seen in many prisons and detention centres risks becoming a public health catastrophe, especially given the general lack of health care and sanitation,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International's Director for West and Central Africa.

“In many countries across the region, a high proportion of those in detention are there just for peacefully exercising their human rights. As well as being the right thing to do, releasing prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally would free up space in these facilities and help to protect prisoners and staff from the virus.”

In a statement published on its website on Monday, Amnesty International is also calling authorities to consider early, temporary or conditional release of older prisoners and those with underlying medical conditions, as well as women and girls who are in detention with dependent children or who are pregnant.

The statement noted that across sub-Saharan Africa, pre-trial detention remains widely used excessively and as a tool of punishment.

It said many countries have a long record of arbitrarily detaining people for exercising or defending the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly or association, which has contributed to overcrowding.

Amnesty International said it has highlighted the plight of several prisoners of conscience, who are now faced with the real threat of COVID-19 in prison.

"It is frightening that such a large number of people who peacefully exercised their human rights are now faced with the risk of contracting the deadly COVID-19 in prisons across Africa. They must all be released without further ado,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's Director for East and Southern Africa.

"The spread of COVID-19 is a public health concern even in prisons and other detention facilities. Reducing the number of people in detention should be an integral and urgent part of state responses to COVID-19, which must begin by immediately and unconditionally releasing all those who shouldn’t be incarcerated in the first place," said Daoud.

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