The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on the 17th that it recommended that the head of a prison refrain from abusing protective equipment, among other measures.
Earlier, the family of inmate A filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), saying A was beaten in prison while chained and handcuffed, to the point A could not walk.
The prison said it used handcuffs because A disobeyed a lawful order and shouted loudly, disrupting duties, and that after moving A to an office, A failed to calm down, so the restraints were switched to metal protective gear and A was placed in a calming room.
However, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) investigation found that the closed-circuit (CC)TV at the time did not capture footage sufficient to determine whether A had obstructed the execution of duties to a degree warranting the use of force. Contrary to the prison's claim, bodycam footage recorded when A was fitted with protective equipment also did not confirm that A used profanity or shouted.
Rather, the bodycam video recorded while the metal protective gear was being applied showed A gasping that A could not breathe and in pain, and the prison officer's arm muscles tensing as the chain was tightened.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Second Committee on Remedy for Rights Violations viewed this as an exercise of force that did not meet the minimum statutory requirements for using protective equipment and determined that the prison violated A's "freedom of person."
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended that the prison comply with the requirements for using protective equipment and use video equipment to collect evidence when applying force.