Dr Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini

Prime Minister of Swaziland

Office of the Prime Minister

P.O. Box 395

Mbabane

Swaziland

Your Excellency

Political activist Wandile Dludlu was interrogated and allegedly tortured while held unlawfully by police officers on 4 September 2009. Less than three weeks later he was assaulted by prison warders outside a prison. Wandile Dludlu lodged criminal complaints with the police for both incidents, but there has been no visible progress into either investigation.

Wandile Dludlu was returning to Swaziland from a protest rally in South Africa when he was stopped by police and forced into their vehicle. Despite the officers producing no arrest warrant, Wandile Dludlu was detained for around an hour at Mbabane police station, before being driven to a forest. There, he was forced to lie on the ground with his wrists tightly bound to his ankles. In this position, he was interrogated by police for several hours and allegedly subjected to suffocation torture with plastic bags repeatedly. He was released uncharged several hours later, bleeding, dehydrated and in shock.

On 21 September, Wandile Dludlu joined other unarmed activists and a group of journalists outside Matsapha Correctional Institution, awaiting the release of political activist Mario Masuku who had been acquitted that day of charges under the STA. Without prior warning to disperse, prison warders charged into the group. Wandile Dludlu was kicked and beaten to the ground. Photographic evidence showing the targeted assault on him appears to have been disregarded by police investigators.

I call for full, impartial and independent investigations into the alleged torture by police and assault by prison warders on Wandile Dludlu in September 2009.

I ask for those responsible to be brought to justice. I also call for police and prison officers in Swaziland to be trained in their human rights obligations.

Sincerely,

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