from IPS, August 17, 1994

BURKINA FASO: PRISONERS APPEAL FOR PROTECTION AGAINST TORTURE

BY ABDOULAYE GANDEMA

OUAGADOUGOU, AUG 17 (IPS) - PRISONERS IN BURKINA FASO HAVE APPEALED FOR PROTECTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND THE JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES FOLLOWING THE DEATH BY TORTURE OF A DETAINEE.

IN THE APPEAL, SENT TO 'L'OBSERVATEUR PAALGA,' AN INDEPENDENT DAILY, THE PRISONERS, WHOSE NAMES WERE NOT PUBLISHED, SAID TORTURE WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AT THE MACO CORRECTION CENTRE IN THE BURKINABE CAPITAL.

''WE ASK YOU TO TAKE STEPS TO PUNISH THESE ODIOUS ACTS SO THAT THEY ARE NEVER REPEATED IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE EVEN A PRISONER HAS RIGHTS,'' THEY WROTE.

THEIR PLEA WAS MOTIVATED BY THE DEATH OF FELLOW PRISONER OUSMANE KOUANDA.

KOUANDA AND ANOTHER MAN, SOUMAILA COMPAORE, WERE TRANSFERRED ON JUL. 28 FROM A POLICE CELL TO THE MACO CORRECTION CENTRE.

AFTER GOING THROUGH THE USUAL ENTRY FORMALITIES THEY WERE BEATEN SAVAGELY BY PRISON GUARDS, BATHED IN COLD WATER AND EXPOSED TO THE SUN.

THEY WERE THEN FORCED TO EAT THEIR OWN EXCREMENT BEFORE BEING THROWN INTO CELLS, OTHER PRISONERS REPORTED.

KOUANDA DIED THAT AFTERNOON AS A RESULT OF INTERNAL BLEEDING AND INJURIES ALL OVER HIS BODY.

''SIMILAR INCIDENTS OCCURRED IN DECEMBER 1993 AND LAST JANUARY,'' WROTE THE DETAINEES.

THEY SAID PRISON AUTHORITIES DID NOTHING TO STOP THE ABUSES AND THAT THE PRISONERS THEY QUESTIONED ON SUCH ISSUES WERE WATCHED CLOSELY AND VERY OFTEN HANDPICKED.

UNDER BURKINABE LAW, BEATINGS ARE PROHIBITED IN PRISONS AND POLICE STATIONS AND ''THE DETAINEE RETAINS ALL HIS RIGHTS EXCEPT LIBERTY.''

BUT KOUANDA'S WAS THE THIRD DEATH BLAMED ON ABUSE BY THE POLICE AND PRISON AUTHORITIES HERE IN TWO WEEKS.

THE CORPSE OF OUSENI CISSE, A STATE EMPLOYEE, WAS DUMPED AT A MORGUE IN THE CAPITAL ON JUL. 22, A FEW WEEKS AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALE AND TRAFFICKING OF REVENUE STAMPS.

THE POLICE SAID HE DIED FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED WHEN HE LEAPT FROM A POLICE CAR WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION.

BUSINESSMAN YOUSSOUF SAWADOGO, ANOTHER SUSPECT IN THE REVENUE STAMPS AFFAIR, DIED ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE OUSENI. POLICE CLAIMED HE ''SHOT HIMSELF IN THE MOUTH'' TO AVOID ARREST.

FOLLOWING OUSSENI'S DEATH, THE BURKINABE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION (MBDHP) HAD URGED THE POLICE TO RESPECT ''THE PHYSICAL INTEGRITY OF DETAINEES, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON FOR THEIR INTERROGATION AND DETENTION.''

HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH APPEALS WILL HAVE MUCH EFFECT SINCE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS HAVE ROUTINELY GONE UNPUNISHED IN THIS WEST AFRICAN NATION.