By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
SUVA, Fiji – A nine-minute video was recently posted on the video-sharing site, “YouTube,” showing Fijian officials brutally beating two men who were allegedly runaway prisoners.
Both of the captive men in the video are handcuffed and maliciously attacked by their captors with weapons. One man is repeatedly beaten with wooden batons and metal sticks, stripped down to his undergarments, and is further beaten while unclothed.
At one point in the video, one of the attackers can be seen sexually assaulting the victim who had been stripped down to his undergarments with a baton. Large purple welts are also clearly visible on the victim’s legs.
The second captive man can be seen in the video being attacked by a dog under the direction of the captors. The captive man’s clothes seem torn with blood on them. The attackers can be heard laughing and jeering in the background throughout the video.
Amnesty International had raised concerns regarding a different incident involving five runaway prisoners last year. The men were allegedly recaptured and severely beaten and tortured by their captors. One of the men allegedly had a leg amputation due to an untended open fracture in his leg after his brutal beating.
The police, however, investigated the incident and said that the information regarding the victim’s leg amputation was inaccurate. Police released official statements to local newspapers stating that the prisoner had diabetes, and the leg amputation was related to his illness.
Last year’s incident had been brought to the attention of Fijian autocratic leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who had promised the restoration of democracy and an end to brutal incidents, like the one involving the recaptured prisoners.
This most recent incident, involving the two recaptured prisoners and the video of their beating being posted on YouTube, seems to be similar to the incident involving the five recaptured prisoners last year. This raises doubts in the eyes of international rights groups as to whether or not Bainimarama will follow through with his promises.
The international community sought comment regarding the video from the current Fijian government, however, Sharon Smith-Johns, an official government spokesperson declined to comment, stating that no official statements were to be released until after the police completed their official investigation.
The Fijian Police Force did release a statement calling the video of the two recaptured prisoners being beaten disturbing and said they would investigate the incident thoroughly. Although the video was described as disturbing, the police noted that the men being beaten were supposedly escaped prisoners.
For further information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Fiji police and regime refuse further comment on beating video – 8 March 2013
ABC News – Fiji Police Probe Apparent Beatings of 2 Prisoners – 6 March 2013
BBC – Fiji police to investigate abuse video – 6 March 2013
Australia Network News – Fiji police ‘disturbed’ by graphic beating video – 5 March 2013
Yahoo News – Fiji police ‘disturbed’ by graphic beating video – 5 March 2013
