Dear Editor,
On behalf of the Bartica United Youth Development Group (BUYDG), through our Human Rights & Prison Reform Division, please find attached our open letter dated 2 November 2026, concerning the reported detention conditions of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, concerns about unequal treatment, the urgent medical and humanitarian circumstances of Micah Williams, deaths in custody and the need for meaningful prison reform in Guyana.
The full text of the letter is also reproduced below this email for your convenience.
We respectfully submit this open letter for your consideration and publication. We acknowledge that it is lengthy, as it addresses several important and interconnected matters affecting human dignity, fundamental rights, accountability and the treatment of persons held in state custody.
Should the length of the letter present a challenge for publication, we respectfully leave it to your editorial discretion to determine whether it may be published in several parts or in another suitable format. However, we would be grateful if the letter could be published in its entirety, as each section contributes to the purpose, position and concerns of our organization.
Also attached are copies of two medical reports concerning Micah Williams’s medical conditions. We respectfully ask that these documents be considered in the context of the humanitarian concerns raised in the letter and handled with appropriate care.
Our intention is not to create political division or to seek preferential treatment for any individual. Rather, we are calling for fairness, transparency, accountability, humane treatment and equal respect for the dignity and rights of every person in state custody, regardless of political affiliation, public profile or personal circumstances.
We believe that the reported concerns surrounding Mr Mohamed should also provide an opportunity for wider public discussion about the conditions experienced by other prisoners and the families who have been raising similar concerns for years. Our appeal is for meaningful reform and practical action that benefit all persons in custody, including those whose circumstances may receive little public attention.
We appreciate the important role of the media in facilitating public discussion on matters of national importance. Thank you for your time, consideration and continued commitment to informing the people of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Kellion Leps
Acting General President
Secretary, Human Rights & Prison Reform Division
Bartica United Youth Development Group (BUYDG)
