Mosese Raqio 
[Photo: FILE]
The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has called for zero tolerance for torture and all forms of ill-treatment following a viral video allegedly showing a Fiji Corrections Service officer assaulting an inmate at the Lautoka Remand Centre.
The Commission says it is concerned by the incident and has welcomed the Fiji Corrections Service’s immediate decision to launch a formal investigation.
It is also calling for the inmate to receive immediate medical attention, appropriate care and any necessary support while the investigation is underway.
The Commission stresses that every person, including those in detention, has the right to be treated with dignity and humanity.
It says people deprived of their liberty remain entitled to the full protection of their human rights, including freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The Human Rights Commission is urging that the investigation be conducted promptly, independently, impartially and transparently.
It says if the allegations are substantiated, those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with the law.
The Commission says it will continue to monitor the matter, reaffirming that human rights must be upheld in all places of detention and that there must be zero tolerance for torture and all forms of ill-treatment.
