The Muslim Citizens Council (MCC) got a feeling of revolt by the circulation on the platform of social media of several videos of cases of police brutality and torture using prohibited weapons. Whenever these cases may have occurred, the fact remains that this is a serious matter of Human Rights violation.
The whole of Mauritius is deeply horrified by the torture inflicted on citizens, who were in their custody by members of the police force. This frightening violation of basic Human Rights by the police authorities, which are supposed to enforce the law plunges the population into a sense of insecurity. Through the practice of torture, the police, whose duty is to protect citizens, become themselves a source of social disruption.
All civilised societies affirm the undisputable greatness and intrinsic value of human dignity. Therefore, torture, whether psychological, moral, oral or physical, is to be rejected and condemned vehemently, because it is totally incompatible with the human values. Torture also runs counter to respect for the integrity of the human person and his fundamental rights as recalled by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In all circumstances, the dignity and fundamental rights of the human person must be respected and that no situation can excuse the transgression of these rights.
The MCC understands that within our legal field, confession has been called the ‘master of evidence,’ and is stated as the primary method of evidence within the Criminal Code and the main cause why police interrogations sometimes use torture, whether psychological, moral, oral or physical to produce confessions. However, we firmly believe that forced confession obtained from a suspect by means of torture or other forms of duress should not be considered valid in a Court of justice.
In this juncture of technological advancement, is it not proper for the MPF to use new methods of criminal investigations using DNA, fingerprints and the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), instead of using coercion, threat and physical torture?
The MCC recognises that Police Officers work is one of the most ethical professions in society, as its role signifies a variety of complex functions that include crime fighting, peace keeping, community and social service, problem solving and more importantly maintaining order. The MCC admits that most Police Officers are sincerely devoted to honesty, justice and goodness, sadly few of them has tarnished its image by their misbehaviour and by being themselves outlaws.
The MCC therefore, wants any alleged cases of police brutality or torture be referred to an independent Commission. Transparency in the conduct of this investigation is essential to maintain trust and, thus, to preserve the social cohesion so essential for the well-being of our young Republic. It is essential that those guilty of such gratuitous violence be severely punished and put out of harm’s way. In this climate of concern, the MCC expects a surge from the authorities, that they stand as a rampart to defend the values of the rule of law.
The Secretariat
Muslim Citizens Council
01 June 2022
NOTE : Les points de vue exprimés dans cette rubrique ne reflètent pas nécessairement ceux de la rédaction et n’engagent que les auteurs eux-mêmes.
