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Africa News afrol News
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Africa News afrol News
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afrol.com, 12 December - The renown human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has called on the authorities in Guinea to release the country's leading opposition figure, Alpha Condé, and a number of his supporters, saying that they had been tortured and did not have a fair hearing. Alpha Condé, who is president of the Guinean People's Rally (RPG), was a leading presidential candidate when he was arrested in December 1998. Amnesty's call comes on the eve of the second anniversary of his arrest. Amnesty International today is publishing a damning report on the unfair trial of 48 people accused of threatening the security of the State, before the Cour de Sűreté de l'État (CSE), State Security Court, which led to the sentencing of Alpha Condé to five years' imprisonment. Ten others were also given prison sentences ranging from one year suspended to three years, and four were convicted in absentia. "All those convicted who are still in detention are prisoners of conscience, held solely because of their political affiliations, without any proof that they have called for the use of violence," says Amnesty International today, calling on the Guinean authorities to release immediately and unconditionally those who are still serving sentences. The report published today is based on the conclusions of an observer sent by Amnesty International to be present at the opening and early hearings of this trial, which lasted from April to September 2000, and also on testimonies gathered during a fact-finding mission in April 2000. "Not one of the basic standards relating to the investigation and to a fair and independent trial was respected throughout the judicial investigation of this affair," the reports concludes. According to the report, "the defendants were detained incommunicado for months and most of them were tortured in order to extract confessions. These confessions were accepted by the court, despite evidence of serious allegations of torture. The right to a fair hearing was not respected during the investigation phase: the lawyers did not have access to their clients' files until five days before the trial started; and during the trial one defence lawyer was subjected to serious intimidation by the Minister of Justice. Amnesty International's mission was, in particular, able to gather a number of statements from those tried concerning the torture to which they were subjected in order to make them confess. "Thorough and independent investigations should be opened into all allegations of torture made by the accused at the time of the trial or when they met with Amnesty International delegates," says the organization. The defendants were tried by a special court, the CSE, which was composed of magistrates appointed directly by the President of the Republic, even though Alpha Condé has for years been one of the leading opposition figures and a candidate in the December 1998 presidential election. Furthermore, contrary to all international standards, the verdict of this special court is not open to appeal. "The Guinean authorities should take steps to abolish the CSE because special courts of this nature cannot guarantee even minimum standards of fairness and independence in the administration of justice," recommends Amnesty International. Source: Amnesty International
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