Karunaratne asks for compensation after breach of his constitutional rights while in prison

Lawyer Jagath Karunaratne is asking the Suva High Court for compensation on the degrading treatment he received while being imprisoned.

Karunaratne appeared before High Court Judge Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu today.

He told the court that he was called into CID for questioning sometime on October 11th and he was charged with seditious intention of bringing into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the government of Fiji.

He said he can recall when he was in the interviewing room and saw the then Prime Minister walk in, and then he shouted to the officers, saying "stop there, cut his f***ing fingers off".

He says from then on, in his view, everything was targeted against him personally.

He was then charged, tried accordingly and their bail was denied so he was kept in custody for 14 days.

Karunaratne adds when he was in remand, he was kept in the condemned building, where they were restricted from their basic needs.

He says after he was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment on the 30th of April 2018, he was kept for 2 months in the isolation room.

He claims that he was not given a bedding but had to sleep sitting on the concrete bench because his cell was continuously watered by officers.

He adds that he was given only a cup and a blanket.

He adds a bucket was also given to him to be his toilet.

The lawyer says he was not allowed to exercise or come out of his cell and the only time he was allowed to leave his cell was every morning before breakfast to clean his bucket and have his bath.

He also says he suffered constipation and stomach pains after a few weeks in isolation and asked to be examined by the Corrections medical officer.

He says after spending two months in the Isolation Cell, he was then moved to the dormitory.

Karunaratne says he was not allowed any visitations when he was kept in isolation but he kept asking the officers if he could call his wife.

He adds when they allowed for visitations, it was monitored.

He adds the visitation times was also reduced from 14 minutes to 7 minutes.

The lawyer also highlighted that once he was removed from the Isolation Cell, the officers that were looking after him told him that they were ordered to punish him by ill-treating him while in prison.

The case continues in the Suva High Court.