359 Scenes
Several dozen prisoners died in seven months last year according to information gathered from health workers and prison staff.
Inhumane detention conditions, exacerbated by an unprecedented heat wave; At least 46 detainees died in four prisons between January and July 2023, according to information collected by Amnesty International; The Beninese authorities must take immediate and effective measures to comply with their international human rights obligations to improve detention conditions. (Press release published on 1Yes August 2024 from London, United Kingdom)
In Benin, last year, detainees, who were placed in dirty and overcrowded cells, were deprived of drinking water and medical care. Dozens of detainees died in seven months last year, according to information gathered from health and prison workers, Amnesty International said today.
Amnesty International is calling on the Beninese authorities to take effective measures immediately to improve detention conditions in the country’s 11 prisons and to comply with international human rights standards for the treatment of detainees, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules. The group spoke to 500 prisoners, health professionals and prison officers, and visited prisons between 19 June and 21 July 2023.
“While we welcome the opportunity given by the authorities to visit the country’s prisons, our investigation revealed inhumane and unacceptable conditions of detention,” said Dieudonné Dagbéto, executive director of Amnesty International Benin. .
“The Beninese authorities must respect their international human rights obligations and adhere to the UN Nelson Mandela Rules by urgently addressing prison overcrowding and improving access to health care and clean water “, said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa.
Overcrowded prisons
Prison overcrowding is affecting all prisons in Benin and the number of prisoners is increasing. From less than 7,000 prisoners in 2016, according to the former Minister of Justice, they went up to 18,170 in December 2023, according to the director of the Benin prison agency.
The Missérété prison, built for about 1,000 prisoners, had 3,742 in 2023, at the time of Amnesty International’s visit, almost four times its capacity. Porto-Novo prison, built for 250 prisoners, had 1,554, six times its capacity. There were 1,595 in Cotonou prison, with a capacity of 700 prisoners.
Most detainees are made to lie on the ground on their sides, unable to turn, Amnesty International said. In prisons with beds, there can be three or four people in a single mattress.
The buildings shared by hundreds of detainees have only narrow openings that do not allow for adequate ventilation. Most of the prisons visited by the Amnesty International team were not equipped with fans, despite the extreme heat. So the prisoners try to cool themselves: “We buy ice and pass the cool water over our bodies,” said a prisoner in Porto-Novo prison. In this prison , Amnesty International observed the presence of inactive fans, some of them resting, without any effect on the heat that was felt in the buildings.
Some cells are not ventilated at all, such as the 12 “penalty” cells at Missérété, where dozens of prisoners are locked together in stifling heat and only get out in the evening to cool off. . In this same prison, suspected members of armed groups are only allowed out once or twice a day.
The air in buildings and cells is also unpalatable due to the lack of sanitary facilities. Prisoners cannot go to the toilet in a clean and decent manner. In Porto-Novo prison, women urinate and choke in pots which they also use as pillows. The men use a small barrel placed in the middle of one of the buildings, and the front door is the only opening.
Heat waves worsen seizure conditions
Gulf of Guinea countries such as Benin experienced the highest level of heat in the first half of 2024. The combination of high temperatures and humid air resulted in average heat index values of around 50°C, according to the index which was developed by PAHs.
“In this period of heightened heat, the Beninese authorities must take urgent and effective measures to prevent the country’s prisons from becoming death halls,” said Samira Daoud.
The Nelson Mandela Rules state that all detainees must have access to clean drinking water when necessary. However, this right is not respected in several prisons, despite the recommendation to drink more water in hot weather. A prisoner from Abomey-Calavi said: “The water we drink comes from a container. It is not to drink. When there is a shortage of water, the firefighters give us dirty water, and we fight to get this dirty water. »
During Amnesty International’s visit, prisoners in one of the Missérété prison buildings said they had not had running water for four months. In Savalou, the prison does not have access to drinking water because there is no running water in this area, according to the manager.
Despite the constant risk of malaria in Benin, which increases during the rainy season between June and November, several of the prisons visited by Amnesty International did not have mosquito nets. In Natitingou prison, torn mosquito nets were used.
“Improving detention conditions in civilian prisons in line with international human rights standards is part of the government’s five-year action program to 2026. With strong political will, there is still time to achieve these goals,” said Dieudonné Dagbéto.
“We made mistakes, but that’s no reason to kill us here”
Commenting on the deplorable conditions of detention and in particular the handcuffs used to punish detainees, which cause painful ankle injuries, a detainee from Abomey-Calavi prison said: We make mistakes, but that’s not the case here.”
Poor prison conditions increase the risk of developing illnesses, and extreme temperatures can lead to heat stroke requiring emergency medical intervention. However, authorities generally do not fulfill their international human rights obligations when it comes to access to health care.
Prisons lack medical staff. None of the prisons visited have permanent state doctors. The hospitals, managed by two or three nurses, are assisted twice a week by doctors employed by the NGO Bénin Excellence. In Natitingou, the hospital receives 400 to 600 detainees per month, according to a nurse. There are three nurses in the prisons of Missérété, Parakou and Abomey respectively for 3,742 prisoners, three nurses for 1,491 prisoners and two nurses for 2,468 prisoners.
A nurse in Abomey-Calavi prison said: “You are a nurse and the fate of 2,000 people is in your hands. This is not normal. »
Detainees said medicines are often refused, unavailable or expired. An inmate in Ouidah prison said: “We often get prescriptions, but rarely medicine. »
Another prisoner in Abomey-Calavi prison said: “When you’re too clean, they think you have money and won’t give you medicine. ” A prisoner in Abomey prison said, in June 2023, that she received medicines that expired from December 2022.
According to reports collected by Amnesty International, detainees are denied care by nurses or administrators, including in emergency cases. An inmate at Abomey-Calavi prison said she was denied treatment for her menstrual pain. One of her fellow prisoners said: “I have a problem with hemorrhoids, but the nurse told me that she no longer sees patients with hemorrhoids. ” A prisoner who was placed in solitary confinement in Missérété prison said: “I had an asthma attack but the cell manager refused to open the door. »
In Abomey-Calavi, some detainees said that they can only get access to the hospital if they show the warrant of commitment, and that the document is not always given to them. “I asked for my warrant at the registry a week ago, but I still haven’t received it,” said one detainee.
These denials of care and delays can have serious consequences. According to an inmate, a 22-year-old man died after suffering an epileptic seizure and waiting two hours for guards to arrive. “The next day we were told he was dead. He had two months left in custody before he was released. »
Pretrial detention beyond the legal date
As of December 2023, about 55% of the 18,170 people detained in Benin were awaiting trial, according to prison authorities.
Amnesty International met with around twenty people who were in pre-trial detention exceeding the legal limit of five years. Some have been detained for 20 years, in violation of Benin’s Code of Criminal Procedure, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Benin is a party. Constitutional Court decisions consulted by Amnesty International confirm the arbitrary nature of some detentions.
“The authorities must immediately release people held in pre-trial detention beyond the legal time limit,” said Fabien Offner, researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West Africa. and Central Africa. “The authorities should also review the penal policy to propose a range of unnecessary measures and thus combat prison overcrowding the decree on work for general interest on January 31, 2024 signed by the President of the Republic is a welfare measure that has an urgent request.
Context
From 19 June to 21 July 2023, an Amnesty International delegation visited all 11 prisons in the country. The researchers met with 500 prisoners, 13 nurses, nine prison directors and two senior guards.
On 8 December 2023, an Amnesty delegation met with the Director of the Benin prison group. The latter informed that recruitment is planned to strengthen health workers. These recruitment processes were launched at the beginning of 2024.
On 4 July 2024, Amnesty International sent a letter to the Minister of Justice and Legislation offering access to the right to respond to the key findings contained in this publication. On July 22, no response was received. However, on July 24, the government announced in the Council of Ministers “contracting for a complete project management mission as part of the project to expand and renovate five remand centers.” »
SOURCE
Amnesty International
