Is Benschop being properly treated?

Posted September 21st. 2003 by Eusi Kwayana.

An open letter to the Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj Many can testify that I am not one of Mr Mark Benschop's friends. I knew nothing of him before he began to function in one of the TV stations supporting the PPP/C government.

I strongly disapprove of what I know of his politics and he strongly disapproves of mine. Everyone should know that along with Andaiye and David Hinds, the WPA, the PPP, ROAR and others I have been denouncing the atrocities committed by gunmen on the East Coast of Demerara. Mr Benschop never hid his stand, but on one occasion, he alone of all the suspects appealed from prison to his supporters not to attack innocent people. He was the only one of the suspects to make that clear appeal.

I am aware, too, that he has a strong popular following, and that to thousands he is something of a heroic figure, because of his fiery spirit and readiness to defy authority. Whether you, or I, or his rivals like it or not, this is a fact of Guyanese politics. We should not deny it, but understand it.

As Mr Benschop is a treason suspect, I will say nothing more of his politics at this point. I am a political activist among other things but also a self-appointed recorder of political truth. Recently in the USA, I downloaded an e-mail. It alleges that September 11 was Mr Benschop's birthday, God bless him. It could be the 30th of February for all I care.

A mother made him, therefore he is a human being, entitled to human rights. The email also alleges that Mr Benschop, a remand prisoner, is ill, losing weight, carrying high blood pressure; that the authorities have refused to let him receive fitting medical attention; that he is locked up in a cold cell with rats and mosquitoes; that he is allowed half an hour a week for exercise; that President Jagdeo at a press conference was indiscreet enough to comment on the suspect's political standing, thus giving the impression of unfairness. I know that treason suspects under the Burnham regime were tortured to extract confessions from them.

Once imprisoned, they were not tortured. When the matter reached the High Court, Mr Justice Rudolph Harper struck out the case when he found a leading police witness, an officer, unreliable. Justice Harper declared, "The police are either lying or hiding something." The case against Mr Ivan Sookram, Mr Tickeram and others collapsed. Is there no comparable judge today sitting in the High Court?

Are there no comparable lawyers to bring these allegations of cruel and inhuman treatment to the attention of the Courts? I had called the charge of treason against this suspect and his co -accused a "knee-jerk reaction."

It is more than that. If there was an offence amounting to treason, why are all the offences of the early July days placed on the heads of two scapegoats? Those were days of serious offences amounting to atrocities. If there were offences amounting to treason, is this misguided young man the only offender?