Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is allegedly being held in solitary confinement at Lusignan Prison, shackled and denied access to family visits and food brought by relatives, in conditions the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) says raise serious concerns about violations of his constitutional and international human rights.
In a statement issued on November 1, CGID said it had received confirmation from senior officials in Georgetown that Mohamed was being detained in Building Five of the prison under restrictive conditions, despite what the organisation described as a contrary account issued by the Guyana government.
The organisation further claimed that prison officials had been instructed to keep Mohamed shackled and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, conditions it said were reserved under the Guyana Prison Service’s standard operating procedures for violent offenders, murderers and serial killers.
The allegations raise serious questions about the treatment of a remanded political figure who has not been convicted of the offence for which he is being held.
Mohamed was remanded to prison Friday October 30, 2026 following his appearance before a magistrate on a charge relating to the alleged bribery of a police officer in connection with obtaining surveillance footage.
The organisation also questioned what it described as unequal treatment within the prison system, contrasting Mohamed’s reported conditions with those allegedly afforded to Daniel Seeram, identified in the statement as the PPP’s Border Patrol Director, who is on remand over violent firearm-related charges.
According to CGID, Seeram occupies a more comfortable cell at night, spends his days in the office lobby of the second-in-command at Lusignan Prison, receives family visits and is provided with home-cooked meals.
CGID directed particular attention to Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot, insisting that his responsibility to protect prisoners’ rights cannot be overridden by political instructions.
“Regardless of political instructions from the PPP government, the laws of Guyana, as well as international law, require that he ensures individuals in the custody and care of the Guyana Prison Service are treated humanly and accorded their constitutional and other rights,” the organisation stated.
The organisation said the treatment of prisoners should not depend on their political affiliation, public standing or whether they enjoy popular support.
“Whether you like Mr. Mohamed or not, or support his politics or not, demanding adherence to the rule of law and respect for the constitution should not be a partisan matter,” CGID said.
The intervention comes amid heightened political tensions surrounding Mohamed’s arrest and remand, with concerns being raised over due process and the treatment of political figures in state custody.
CGID called on prison authorities to restore and respect Mohamed’s rights, insisting that the same protections must extend to every person detained within the country’s correctional facilities.
