Amnesty International Report 2003 - Mauritius
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 28 May 2003 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Amnesty International Report 2003 - Mauritius , 28 May 2003, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3edb47dc0.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Covering events from January - December 2002
REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS
Head of state: Karle Auguste Osma (replaced Cassam Uteem in February)
Head of government: Anerood Jugnauth
Death penalty: abolitionist for all crimes
International Criminal Court: ratified
President Cassam Uteem resigned in February in protest at the government's proposed "anti-terrorist" legislation. At least three people accused police officers of ill-treating them during arrest. Police harassed two human rights activists.
'Anti-terrorist' legislation
Opposition parties, civil society groups and AI expressed concern at provisions of the government's proposed "anti-terrorist" legislation which fail to meet international human rights standards. The legislation allows the police to detain "terrorism" suspects incommunicado for 36 hours and gives the government the right to extradite or deny them asylum and to return them to countries where they risk human rights abuses.
Torture and ill-treatment
At least three people alleged torture or ill-treatment by police officers. They complained to the police Complaints Investigation Bureau or the National Human Rights Commission but, despite investigations into these and previous cases (including suspect deaths in custody), no police officers were brought to justice.
- On 22 April, 17-year-old Kevin Besage filed a complaint alleging that members of the Special Supporting Unit beat him in Roche-Bois and in the nearby police station of Abercrombie. The Complaints Investigation Bureau opened an investigation and the complainant identified three suspected police officers, but no further information was made public by the end of the year.
Police harassed two people because of their human right activities.
- Two members of Parti Lalit, a non-governmental human rights organization, were arrested by police officers in March while they were collecting information about police brutality. The charges against them were subsequently dropped.
