Alleged Violence at Melrose Prison: Inmates to be Heard by the Fact Finding Committee Soon

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has announced that the Fact Finding Committee, established to investigate the events that occurred at the high-security Melrose prison on July 17th, is continuing its work. This information was released in a statement issued on Friday, August 1st.

After hearing several members of the prison staff earlier this week, the committee will resume hearings next week at the NHRC headquarters in Ébène. The officer in charge of the prison on the day of the incident will be among those interviewed.

Hearings of inmates involved in the events are also planned at Melrose. Medical staff will also be summoned as part of this investigation.

The statement specifies that the CCTV recordings from the prison have been reviewed and secured by the National Preventive Mechanism Division (NPMD).

The NHRC will provide regular updates, and the findings of the investigation will be documented in a report accompanied by recommendations addressed to the authorities.

It is worth noting that relatives of inmates had reported alleged acts of violence committed inside the prison, claims that have been denied by the prison management. "No one was beaten," stated Dev Jokhoo, the prison commissioner, to the Défi Media Group.