Two political activists arrested at an election rally
in Swaziland have been tortured by police, the kingdom’s Communist Party says.
Mfanawenkhosi ‘BOER’ Mntshali and Derrick
Nkambule, both members of the banned political party, People’s United
Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), were at a rally to discuss boycotting Swaziland’s
forthcoming election.
In a statement, the Communist Party of Swaziland said the two
men were taken by a special police squad to police HQ in Mbabane, the kingdom’s
capital.
The statement said, ‘Information is coming in that the two comrades
are undergoing an intensified torture session at the Police headquarters in
Mbabane , this is a violation of the normal procedure recognized
internationally that when a suspect is apprehended he /she is kept in a police
station and charged within 48 working hours.’
The
statement said the police HQ had ‘special interrogation chambers which are well
equipped for torturing suspects’.
The
police have kept the two men in isolation and not allowed them to speak to
lawyers.
Earlier
this month (April 2013), the US Embassy in Swaziland said it had ‘deep concern’ about the way police engage in ‘acts of
intimidation and fear’ against people seeking their political rights. This was
after police broke up a public meeting in Manzini to discuss the election.
The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) alsothis month reported that recently Swaziland police and state security forces
had shown ‘increasingly violent and abusive behaviour’ that was leading to the
‘militarization’ of the kingdom.
OSISA told the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) meeting in The Gambia,
‘There are also reliable reports of a general militarization of the country
through the deployment of the Swazi army, police and correctional services to
clamp down on any peaceful protest action by labour or civil society organisations
ahead of the country’s undemocratic elections.’
See also
POLICE
BREAK UP ELECTION RALLY
US
REBUKES POLICE OVER VIOLENCE
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