24 Jul 2014

Investigation into torture video will test regime

7:49 am on 24 July 2014

The Fiji NGO Coalition for Human Rights says the investigation into last year's torture video will further test the regime's commitment to the rule of law.

Last week, the Police Chief of Operations, Rusiate Tudravu, confirmed that the case had been closed, but the Police Commissioner, Major General Ben Groenewald, now says the investigation is still open.

The nine-minute video released on the internet shows a handcuffed man being beaten with batons and metal bars by men in plain clothes, with one man being set upon by a dog as its handler urges the animal on.

The chair of the NGO coalition, Shamima Ali, says the case will test the regime leaders who have not condemned the violence.

"If they do not interfere, I think this will really test their position because once the Commissiioner has made that announcement, it will be really interesting how things develop."

Shamima Ali says those seen beating the recaptured inmates can easily be indentified and the probe should have been completed a long time ago.