Denver – The shocking treatment of a Moroccan asylum seeker in South Korea has stirred international controversy and condemnation from activist groups.
The mistreatment of the Moroccan man dates back to March when the man was taken to a detention facility in the South Korean city of Hwaseong. The man, who claims to be mentally ill, was then subjected to a series of horrific rights abuses, many of which were caught on security cameras.
He was allegedly detained for the destruction of property at the Hwaseong Foreigner Shelter where he was living. He was also accused of assaulting staff and causing a disturbance over the course of his stay. Shelter staff called police on the man after he reportedly exposed his genitals to workers at the shelter.
South Korean press released footage from the detention center showing the man lying on the floor of a solitary jail cell with both his hands and feet bound and a helmet placed over his head. Placed on his stomach, the man appears unable to move while in the position. Rights groups allege the man was placed in this position several times, ranging from 20 minutes to nearly four and a half hours.
Sources reported the man was placed in solitary confinement twelve times while in the detention center. In total, the man allegedly spent over a third of his time in the facility in the tiny three square meter cell.
South Korea’s Ministry of Justice stated Wednesday that the Ministry intends to launch an investigation into the matter, after footage of the man rapidly spread across social media.
Government officials also relayed that authorities placed the man in the bound position “for the protection of the life and safety of the protected person, the maintenance of order in the protective facility, and the human rights of the employees in accordance with the regulations.”
A twelve-page report on the man detailing authorities’ justification for placing him under solitary confinement was released as part of the investigation. Under South Korean law, detainees may be placed in such conditions for reasons such as the safety of the staff or detainee.
However, the released report bears no official seals or signatures, and many are questioning the authenticity of the documents. Lawyer Lee Han-jae stated he “strongly believes that the papers have been falsified, which means that the victim may have been put under ‘special custody’ without good reason.”
Lee, currently a representative for the Moroccan, also announced he would file a petition for the immediate release of the man from the facility.
Activists have labeled the actions of facility staff as unnecessarily cruel, and claim the man was falsely placed in solitary confinement and was undeserving of the harsh treatment.
“Using rope to bind a person like this and leaving him for a long period of time, which evidently goes beyond the original purpose of their use, can be seen as torture,” stated a coalition of human rights groups for migrants investigating the incident.
The Moroccan man originally arrived in South Korea in 2017 as an asylum seeker but was transferred to the facility in March of this year shortly after authorities issued a deportation order against him.
