• Society

Justice Call After Prisoner Blinded by Officer

• By Phoung Vantha
• April 27, 2023 2:05 PM

PHNOM PENH – A detainee has been blinded in one eye after being struck by an officer at Tbong Provincial Prison.

Am Sam Ath, operations director of LICADHO, said it had been a case of torture and lack of healthcare services for detainees which were guaranteed by law.

He was sorry that the victim had lost his eye due to a delay getting treatment. He called for an investigation into the case to give justice to the victim and for the perpetrator to be punished according to the law.

Nuth Savana, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior's General Department of Prisons confirmed that an incident had taken place.

The incident happened in February but news of it emerged on social media on April 26. Social media users shared pictures and information about the detainee. They said the victim had been blinded in the eye but had not received justice.

Savana said that so far there had been no punishment or arrest of the officer as the matter was still under investigation. According to a preliminary investigation, the officer did not intend to cause such injuries.

The detainee had been taken to Tbong Khmum provincial hospital and then to a hospital in Phnom Penh, where he was being treated, Savana added.

Justice Ministry Secretary of State Chin Malin said the Cambodian Human Rights Committee is investigating the case before taking any legal action.

Savana said inmates had been joking loudly until midnight to congratulate one of them who would be released next morning. A guard went to tell them to stop because it violated the rules and disturbed others but the detainees did not listen.

In the morning, the guard lost control and slapped each of the detainees. The victim was hit on the right part of his face.

“Coincidentally, it is unfortunate that when the officer slaps him, it causes problems,” Savana said.

The detainee was charged with a minor offense.