Samir Danny Alexis has written a letter to the Home Affairs
Minister, Charles Bastienne, that his and other inmates` security, health and
moral are being affected. The allegations described in the letter states that
certain prison officers threatened Mr Alexis with a pistol and even promised to
send him to Mahe in a body bag. With the disappearance of Mickey Lesperance
from Coetivy prison these allegations are extremely serious as Mr Alexis now fears
for his life. Whether Mr Bastienne takes any action is only known to him,
however going by past actions of this current Government; nothing will be done.
As well as being assaulted and abused, Mr Alexis alleges
that he is being denied access to medical attention. The Prison act states that
“Every prison shall have a Medical officer of Prisons who shall be a government
medical officer”. According to the
testimony of Mr Alexis this is not the case.
Another serious rights abuse indicates that “the food that
we are presently eating is either rotten or expired”. Mr Alexis in his letter ask Mr Bastienne to intervene
as these situations are getting out of hand. The gravity of the situation is
put into perspective with the recent death of Maxwell Duval from cancer and the
cancer Roland Felicie contracted whilst serving their sentences on Marie Louise.
The quality and safety of the drinking water has been questioned many times
previously with no answer forthcoming from this Government.
The US Department of State Human Rights report for the year
2013 had concluded that “Prison conditions did not meet international
standards, notably regarding overcrowding and sanitation. Little information
was available on conditions at remote prison facilities on Coetivy Island and
Marie Louise Island.” Everyone is in the dark at what is really happening on
these two islands. Prisoners also have rights and above all as Mr Alexis
states; they are human beings.
