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Amnesty International Sierra Leone in a press conference held on Wednesday 26th February 2025, has urged the Operational Support Division (OSD) of the Sierra Leone Police to close its Benghazi facility.
Benghazi facility which is located at the OSD headquarters in Brookfield, Freetown is allegedly used by the police to torture suspects.
Campaign and Growth Coordinator of Amnesty International Sierra Leone, Jaiah Kaikai, noted that operating such a facility constitutes subjecting suspects to inhuman and degrading treatment.
According to Kaikai, his statement came following complaints lodged by citizens about being subjected to ill- treatment and torture at the hands of police officers in Benghazi. Kaikai cited an incident where suspects accused of stealing fuel from PC and Sons fuel depot at Ferry Junction were taken to Ross Road Police Station and later sent to the notorious ‘Benghazi torture camp,’ where they were allegedly tortured before being returned to Ross Road Police Station.
“How can such things happen?” Kaikai questioned. “We have been getting several complaints from victims and their families about Benghazi. We are doing our best as a human rights organization to see that such inhuman and degrading treatment stops,” he stated.
Yalia Kamara, Amnesty International’s West Region Chairman, shared that one of the victims showed scars and bumps from the torture. “As a professional police force, they should not be involved in such behavior,” she said. Kamara added that the suspects spent 12 days in police custody without being charged, violating their fundamental human rights.
According to Kamara, when they followed up on the investigation at the police station, they were informed by the crime officer that no file of such nature was in his possession.
Amnesty International’s call for the closure of the Benghazi facility highlights ongoing concerns about human rights abuses and the need for accountability within the Sierra Leone Police.
The bio led government brought several strange things to this country I can’t imagine! Come on! Is the court discipline no longer enough??!!! Why the torture??!! Some accused people are even innocent! Are they normally compensated for the torture after the court proves them not guilty?! 🤔🧐
Please stop advocating for closure of the Benghazi facility. Instead, appeal to citizens to be law abiding. If you are a serious human rights advocate, why don’t you ask the US government to close Guantanamo Bay. Will I be right to call you a hypocrite or are you playing double standards?