Amman - The director of Jordan's Swaqa prison, 60 kilometres
south of Amman, has been suspended and replaced, three days after
more than 100 inmates injured themselves during a visit to the
facility by human rights activists, a senior official said Wednesday.
Public Security Department (PSD) spokesman Major Bashir Daaja said
that the department had decided to name Colonel Abdul Karim Oqaili as
new warden replacing Major Majed Rawashdeh, who was shifted to
another post.
Daaja did not elaborate, but local newspapers said that Rawashdeh
was suspended 'for committing fatal administrative errors that do not
conform to the PSD's reform policy.'
'Rawashdeh is being questioned in connection with Sunday's
incident and if it was proven that he was responsible for what
happened, he will be subject to administrative measures,' papers
quoted sources familiar with the development as saying.
During a visit to the Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre
by a Human Rights Watch team on Sunday, more than 100 inmates 'with
criminal records inflicted injuries to themselves with toilet ceramic
tiles to draw the attention of the human rights activists,' Daaja
said earlier.
Many of the prisoners were treated at the facility, which has over
2,000 inmates, while others were rushed to nearby hospitals for
medical treatment.
HRW Middle East and North Africa Division researcher Christoph
Wilcke, who was part of the team visiting the prison, welcomed the
PSD's 'swift' step.
However, he expressed hope that the investigations into the claims
of torture by inmates he met would be 'carried out by persons not
connected with the PSD.'
Wilcke told Jordan Times that he noticed bruises on the inmates he
interviewed and heard allegations that all the prisoners were
subjected to 'heavy beatings.'
In a related development, the head of Jordan's National Human
Rights Centre, Ahmad Obeidat, has criticised what he called the
'irresponsible behaviour' of the Swaqa Prison that led to the
'deterioration of the human conditions of inmates.'
Obeidat, a former prime minister, urged the formation of a neutral
judicial committee to investigate the 'tragic situation' at the
prison.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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