Several Mozambicans, who have never faced trial, have been jailed in the capital’s top security prison for more than four years, prison management said on Wednesday.
When the Legal Affairs Commission of the Mozambican Parliament visited the Maputo prison on Wednesday, they were told that the four detainees have been held for over four years, and one for over five years, without their detention ever being properly formalised.
There are a further 33 inmates held illegally for periods in excess of two months. They have never been brought before a magistrate, even though Mozambican law states that this must occur within 48 hours of the arrest.
The chairperson of the Legal Affairs Commission, Aly Dauto, said on a local radio broadcast, that ”flagrant violations of the law” should be a matter of concern for the entire justice system.
Dauto called on the Criminal Investigation Police to intervene.
Currently there are two separate prison systems in Mozambique, one run by the Justice Ministry and one by the Interior Ministry. The Maputo prison is one of the Interior Ministry jails.
During the commission’s visit, the prisoners complained of overcrowding, and poor sanitation and health conditions.
The United Nations has said many Mozambican jails were unsafe and unhealthy and noted that many prisoners suffer from diarrhoea, malaria, skin diseases and pulmonary infections.
Aids is also a major problem in the prisons, with no special help for inmates who have contracted the disease and few programmes in place to prevent it from spreading. – Sapa-AP