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Rabat – Seoul Central District Court has ordered the Korean government to pay 10 million won ($7,500) in compensation to a Moroccan asylum seeker who endured inhuman treatment at the Hwaseong Immigration Detention Center.
Delivered on Thursday, the ruling comes nearly three years after the harrowing mistreatment and abuse unfolded at the detention center, local outlet the Korean Herald reported.
The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, was subjected to egregious treatment, including being hog-tied with his hands and feet bound behind his back.
The Moroccan asylum seeker had arrived in Korea in 2017 seeking refuge. However, in March 2021, authorities issued a deportation order against him, leading to his transfer to the Hwaseong facility.
Later that year, footage from the detention center showing the man lying on the floor of a solitary jail cell with both his hands and feet bound with a helmet placed on his head circulated on social media.
Rights groups and activists strongly condemned the actions of the facility staff, alleging unnecessary cruelty and questioning the authenticity of the documents justifying the man’s treatment.
During his detention, the victim protested against being held in solitary confinement on more than 12 occasions over a span of three months. Despite his protests, he was repeatedly subjected to dehumanizing conditions.
According to the Korean Herald, the ruling marks the first time a court has recognized the claims of asylum seekers for damages resulting from ill-treatment at a detention center.
Kim Ji-rim, an attorney with the GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, who represented the Moroccan man, emphasized the significance of the decision.
“The Ministry of Justice should not appeal and should work to improve the system to prevent further human rights violations at detention centers nationwide,” Kim said.
