Wednesday, March 12, 2008
PHNOM PENH — Visitors to prisons in Cambodia are required to pay bribes to prison guards to gain access to inmates, a Cambodian human rights organization said in a report released Tuesday. The report by LICADHO said, "In order for families to visit a family member in prison, they are usually required to pay a bribe to the prison guards."
It said that the bribe can range from 2,000 riel (about $0.50) to hundreds of dollars depending on the particular prison guard and the perception of wealth of the family. "Families and visitors are regularly denied access to their loved ones if they are unable to pay these bribes," the report said. Often, even if the bribe has been paid, the visit will be heavily monitored by prison guards to make the prisoners fearful of telling their families about the true conditions in the prison, it added.
No comments:
Post a Comment