(JollofNews) – The U.N. rights chief on Tuesday deplored the death of an opposition party member while in custody in Gambia, urging the authorities to investigate his death along with allegations that detainees are refused medical care.
Solo Krummah died in hospital over the weekend, his United Democratic Party (UDP) said, its second member to lose his life in custody since the start of a crackdown on opposition protests earlier this year.
There were no details on what treatment had been needed or how he died, the UDP said.
“We deplore the reported death in custody of … Solo Krummah,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said in a statement, citing reports that he had been denied medical care “on several occasions while in detention”.
“We urge the authorities to investigate the death as well as allegations that detainees are denied access to medical care.”
It said the allegations came from detainees themselves.
The statement followed criticism from the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, which said it was “troubled by reports of the Gambian government’s continued mistreatment of detained opposition figures, as evidenced by recent deaths and allegations of torture”.
Gambia’s government spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Foreign powers and rights groups regularly accuse President Yahyah Jammeh, who has ruled the West African nation of 2 million people since taking power in a coup in 1994, of using security forces to stamp out political dissent.
(Reporting by Tim Cocks; Editing by Joe Bavier and Alison Williams)
UN HR Commissioner ‘deplores’ death in custody
A statement issued by Cécile Pouilly, spokesperson of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 23 August 2016, has Cécile Pouilly‘deplored’ the death in custody of Ebrima Solo Krummah and called on the authorities to investigate the death in custody of both Sandeng and Krummah.
The following is the full text of the statement:
(Geneva, 23 August 2016) – We deplore the reported death in custody of Ebrima Solo Kurumah, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), last Saturday.
According to information we have received, Mr. Kurumah passed away after he was taken to hospital for a surgical operation. He had allegedly been denied medical help on several occasions while in detention.
Mr. Kurumah was among the 30 members of the main opposition party sentenced to three years’ imprisonment last July, following their participation in peaceful demonstrations to call for electoral reform and to protest against the death in State custody of the Chairman of the UDP youth wing, Solo Sandeng.
Other detainees have also reportedly been denied medical care in recent months.
We urge the authorities to investigate the death in State custody of Mr. Sandeng and Mr. Kuruma as well as allegations that detainees are denied access to medical care.
http://www.foroyaa.gm/archives/11762