Middle East News

Jordanian prison warden fired after reported violations

Aug 29, 2007, 10:46 GMT

Amman - The director of Jordan's Swaqa prison, 60 kilometres south of Amman, has been suspended and replaced, three days after more than 100 inmates injured themselves during a visit to the facility by human rights activists, a senior official said Wednesday. Public Security Department (PSD) spokesman Major Bashir Daaja said that the department had decided to name Colonel Abdul Karim Oqaili as new warden replacing Major Majed Rawashdeh, who was shifted to another post. Daaja did not elaborate, but local newspapers said that Rawashdeh was suspended 'for committing fatal administrative errors that do not conform to the PSD's reform policy.' 'Rawashdeh is being questioned in connection with Sunday's incident and if it was proven that he was responsible for what happened, he will be subject to administrative measures,' papers quoted sources familiar with the development as saying. During a visit to the Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre by a Human Rights Watch team on Sunday, more than 100 inmates 'with criminal records inflicted injuries to themselves with toilet ceramic tiles to draw the attention of the human rights activists,' Daaja said earlier. Many of the prisoners were treated at the facility, which has over 2,000 inmates, while others were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. HRW Middle East and North Africa Division researcher Christoph Wilcke, who was part of the team visiting the prison, welcomed the PSD's 'swift' step. However, he expressed hope that the investigations into the claims of torture by inmates he met would be 'carried out by persons not connected with the PSD.' Wilcke told Jordan Times that he noticed bruises on the inmates he interviewed and heard allegations that all the prisoners were subjected to 'heavy beatings.' In a related development, the head of Jordan's National Human Rights Centre, Ahmad Obeidat, has criticised what he called the 'irresponsible behaviour' of the Swaqa Prison that led to the 'deterioration of the human conditions of inmates.' Obeidat, a former prime minister, urged the formation of a neutral judicial committee to investigate the 'tragic situation' at the prison. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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