Munaz: Attacks against prison guards take place periodically, it will be dealt with

Commissioner of Prisons, Abdulla Munaz, on Friday, said that attacks by detainees against prison officers took place periodically, and that legal action would be taken to ascertain the safety and security of prison officers.

The statement, which Munaz made via his official Twitter account, followed rumors of altercations between prison officers and detainees at the Maafushi Prison on Friday.

“It’s the aim of MCS [Maldives Correctional Service] officers to advise the instigators on what’s right, to rehabilitate them, make them productive members of community and bring their families happiness for when they are released from prison and reintegrated into the community,” said Munaz.

He did not directly comment on the attacks which is reported to have been instigated against prison officers by detainees kept on remand at the Unit 4.

“Forms of attacks against MSC officers from people detained at jails take place from time to time,” said Munaz.

He said that Maldives Correctional Service was committed to taking the “necessary legal action to ascertain the safety and security of MCS officers with patience.”

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— A.Munaaz, CP, Maldives Correctional Service (@a_munaaz) January 3, 2020

A source reported to Sun that the latest wave of attacks took place after a prison officer claimed he had been hit by suspect, who was ordered to jail pending the outcome of his trial, while moving him out of his cell, and hit him back.

He said that detainees had staged a protest over inadequate medical care at the prison on Friday morning, and when prison officers went to intervene, splashed them with water.

Maldives Correctional Service has yet to provide a direct response to reports of the recent altercations.

The new wave of attacks comes after Maldives Correctional Service came under fire for excessive use of force in dealing with unrest within the prison in June 2019. Commissioner of Prisons Munaz had been questioned by the Parliament’s National Security Committee over the case at the time.