UHRC to monitor prisoners
Dec 02, 2002
THE Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has cautioned Police constables in the mid-eastern region against torturing criminals in their custody
By Kenneth Otim
THE Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has cautioned Police constables in the mid-eastern region against torturing criminals in their custody.
The legal officer of the UHRC Soroti branch, Bernard Mugisha, said the commission would monitor the treatment of criminals have been violated.
He said the commission would visit jails, prisons, and Police cells, to find out the conditions of the inmates and make recommendations.
The mid-eastern region covers Kaberamaido, Soroti, Kumi and Katakwi districts.
Recently prisons in Soroti, Kumi, Tororo and Mbale were supplied with poor quality maize flour that resembled chicken feed.
Mugisha said, “Criminals should have freedom from torture, inhuman and degradating treatment, otherwise Police officers will compensate suffers of human rights violations or their families under their custody if proved in court.
“Our visiting of detention places is to find out human rights violations and short-comings and suggest ways of improving them,†he added.
Regional Police commander mid-eastern Bob Ngobi said Police officers had no right to torture criminals in their cells to reveal information.
“A Police constable is not supposed to torture a criminal in order to get information during investigations,†he said.
The papers presented included, the concept of human rights, protection from torture, cruel inhuman or degradating treatment or punishment.â€
Ngobi, all Police commanders in the region and commissioner Veronica Bichetero presented papers on “terrorism and human rights.
THE Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has cautioned Police constables in the mid-eastern region against torturing criminals in their custody.
The legal officer of the UHRC Soroti branch, Bernard Mugisha, said the commission would monitor the treatment of criminals have been violated.
He said the commission would visit jails, prisons, and Police cells, to find out the conditions of the inmates and make recommendations.
The mid-eastern region covers Kaberamaido, Soroti, Kumi and Katakwi districts.
Recently prisons in Soroti, Kumi, Tororo and Mbale were supplied with poor quality maize flour that resembled chicken feed.
Mugisha said, “Criminals should have freedom from torture, inhuman and degradating treatment, otherwise Police officers will compensate suffers of human rights violations or their families under their custody if proved in court.
“Our visiting of detention places is to find out human rights violations and short-comings and suggest ways of improving them,†he added.
Regional Police commander mid-eastern Bob Ngobi said Police officers had no right to torture criminals in their cells to reveal information.
“A Police constable is not supposed to torture a criminal in order to get information during investigations,†he said.
The papers presented included, the concept of human rights, protection from torture, cruel inhuman or degradating treatment or punishment.â€
Ngobi, all Police commanders in the region and commissioner Veronica Bichetero presented papers on “terrorism and human rights.