Family fears for opposition leader’s safety, calls for his release

…Prison service denies inhumane treatment as supporter hold vigil

(Kaieteur News) – The family of Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed has raised concerns over his safety, alleging political victimisation, clandestine judicial proceedings, and physical mistreatment following his remand to the Lusignan Prison.

Speaking on behalf of the family following a visit to the facility, Mohamed’s sister, Hadiyyah Mohamed, detailed to Kaieteur News what she said is a calculated attempt by the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government to strip the opposition leader of his constitutional rights and subject him to inhumane conditions.

Azruddin Mohamed, Leader of the Opposition.

According to Mohamed, the legal proceedings unfolded under questionable circumstances during a high court session involving defense counsel Nigel Hughes and Attorney General Anil Nandlall. She alleged that police secretly moved Mohamed from the Kitty Police Station to the Sparendaam Police Station without notifying his legal team or family. He was then brought before the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court after regular operating hours.

“The gates were locked, the employees were sent home, but they were called back to report back to the magistrate court,” Mohamed said, noting that defense attorneys were forced to navigate heavy afternoon traffic without prior notice. “When in the history of Guyana has this ever been done for anyone in any case? It was sudden, spontaneous, unexpected, and deliberate.”

Hadiyyah Mohamed

Following the hearing before Magistrate Gibbs, Mohamed was remanded to prison under Section 9 of the Cybercrime Act, an offense his family maintains is bailable, alongside related allegations concerning firearm and ammunition possession.

Allegations of solitary confinement and psychological abuse

Mohamed reported that the opposition leader was placed in Building 5 of the Lusignan Prison, a maximum-security section reserved for high-profile offenders, after authorities cleared the upper floor of other inmates. She described his detention conditions as abusive, citing 23 hours and 50 minutes of daily isolation in a cramped cell with no windows or ventilation that felt “as a furnace.” She further stated that continuous bright overhead lighting remains on without a wall switch, and tight physical restraints have left his hands and feet “swollen and black and blue.”

“This is a deliberate psychological attempt to make someone deranged, to induce sleep deprivation,” Mohamed said, adding that her brother gestured to his head to indicate the psychological toll. Fearing potential state-directed poisoning or the administration of psychotic drugs, Mohamed initially refused prison-provided meals, declaring a hunger strike. His family publicly placed responsibility for his physical well-being on Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond and prison management.

Prison Service denies inhumane treatment claims

In response to the family’s accusations, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) issued a statement rejecting all claims of punitive, degrading, or unlawful treatment, asserting that Mohamed is being managed in strict compliance with standard protocols and UN Nelson Mandela Rules.

The GPS clarified that upon admission on Friday, October 30, 2026, Mohamed was evaluated through the Prison Management Offenders System and classified as a high-profile prisoner. Officials emphasised that this security classification dictates his housing and supervision levels and is not a form of punishment.

Correctional authorities stated that Mohamed was examined by a medical officer and seen by a welfare officer upon arrival. The GPS confirmed that following a meeting on Saturday, October 31, 2026, between Acting Assistant Director of Prisons (Operations) Deoraj Gyandat and Mohamed’s family, approval was granted for designated relatives to supply home-cooked meals subject to security checks.

The prison service added that Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot and Officer-in-Charge Seon Charles personally conducted a welfare check later that day, during which officials granted Mohamed’s request to telephone his son ahead of his birthday on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and adjusted a ceiling fan serving his cell block.

Civil society and public figures rally in solidarity

Public demonstrations and strong rebukes from civil society quickly followed the remand. Speaking at the candlelight vigil held on Sunday night, Ronald Bulkan voiced deep concern over the trajectory of the administration, condemning what he termed the unjust treatment of a high-ranking constitutional office holder.

“He’s right now being held in cruel, inhumane, and degrading conditions that even hardened criminals should not be exposed to,” Bulkan said, registering disgust at the alleged weaponisation of the Guyana Police Force and the suppression of constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. He warned that such actions evoke dark periods in the nation’s past and send an undemocratic signal to citizens regarding political association.

Candlelight vigil

Echoing these sentiments, WIN Member of Parliament Odessa Primus addressed public scrutiny surrounding recent diplomatic engagements, firmly reaffirming her opposition to the ruling party. Primus emphasized that maintaining professional, cordial relationships and engaging with international bodies like the UK delegation is essential for effectively representing marginalized citizens and addressing grievances neglected by the administration.

GHRA demands respect for constitutional rights

Adding its voice to the mounting condemnation, the executive committee of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) issued a scathing statement on Sunday, condemning the collusion between the police force and the magistracy to secure a weekend remand.

The GHRA argued that the move against Mohamed is part of a broader pattern of police harassment and political victimisation by a ruling party increasingly operating as a partisan enterprise. The association highlighted that criminal investigations have been sidelined for political surveillance, undermining local democracy and ignoring the substantial national support Mohamed commands.

Furthermore, the GHRA addressed the international legal principles governing extradition, stressing that extradition is discretionary and must respect state sovereignty and national interest rather than partisan executive agendas. The association urged the judiciary to act as an impartial guardian of justice and called upon governing authorities to immediately cease the campaign of harassment, respect election results, and safeguard the political independence of state agencies.

Calling on the international community, the ABCEU diplomatic corps, and local civil rights organisations to intervene, Mohamed’s family and supporters have announced plans for continued protests outside the magistrate’s court to demand his immediate release.

Source: Kaieteur News