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Conakry central prison

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(Redirected from Maison Centrale de Conakry)
Conakry central prison
Journalists in front of the prison upon the announcement of the liberation of political prisoners in September 2021.
Conakry central prison is located in Guinea
Conakry central prison
Conakry central prison
Location in Guinea
Coordinates9°30′49″N 13°42′19″W / 9.51361°N 13.70528°W / 9.51361; -13.70528
Capacity300[1]
Population1,140-2,000 (as of 2014-2020,[2][3][4])
CityConakry
Country Guinea

Conakry central prison (French: Maison Centrale de Conakry) is a prison in Guinea located in the capital Conakry, in the commune of Kaloum.

History

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Built during the colonial period, the establishment has, since 1984, been under the governance of the Ministry of Justice of Guinea.[5]

After the 2021 Guinean coup d'état on 5 September, the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development freed 79 political prisoners.[6]

The prison was raided on 4 November 2023, resulting in the brief escape of former military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara, who was being held for his role in the brutal suppression of the 2009 Guinean protests.[7]

Infrastructure

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The Conakry central prison consists of three main buildings: one for convicts, one for defendants and the main hall.[5]

Conditions

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The prison was designed to hold 300 people. However in 2021, Amnesty International reported the prison held almost 2000 detainees,[4] while, in its 2023 report, the US Department of State described conditions as overcrowded.[1]

Prominent prisoners

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Among those who have been imprisoned in the Conakry central prison include:

References

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  1. ^ a b "2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Guinea". www.state.gov. United States Department of State. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024. ... as of September 7, the Conakry Central Prison held 1,719 prisoners in a facility designed for 300.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Rapport sur la situation des droits de l’homme dans les lieux de détention en République de Guinée (PDF). www.ohchr.org (Report) (in French). BUREAU DU HAUT-COMMISSARIAT DES NATIONS UNIES AUX DROITS DE L’HOMME EN GUINEE. October 2014. p. 11. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  3. ^ Offner, Fabien (2 February 2021). "Guinée. Morts en détention et prison ferme pour des opposants" [Guinea: Deaths in detention and prison sentence for opponents]. www.amnesty.org (in French). Amnesty International. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b Offner, Fabien (2 February 2021). "Guinea: Deaths in detention and prison sentence for opposition members". www.amnesty.org. Amnesty International. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b Rapport sur l’état des lieux de la Maison Centrale de Conakry – Quartier de mineurs – juin-juillet 2011 (PDF). www.tdh.ch (Report) (in French). Terre Des Hommes. August 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Coup d'État en Guinée : des prisonniers politiques libérés et accueillis par une liesse populaire". Les Observateurs - France 24 (in French). 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  7. ^ "Guinea's former dictator Camara recaptured hours after jailbreak". France 24. 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-20.