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Ecuador: Former Minister alleges torture, questions imprisonment

Quito, Sep 2 (Prensa Latina) Former Ecuadorian minister Jose Serrano has alleged mistreatment and restrictions during his confinement at El Encuentro maximum-security prison and has called on international bodies to intervene to protect his safety.

  Serrano, who served as Minister of the Interior and later as President of the National Assembly, stated that he has feared for his life since entering the penitentiary on August 29 following his deportation from the United States.

  In a message posted on the social network X, the former official claimed that guards strike his fingernails, force him to kneel for photographs, and demand that he display a sad expression.

  He also reported a lack of drinking water and basic hygiene supplies, no access to reading materials or sunlight, and a requirement to eat his meals within 60 seconds.

  According to Serrano, he has been denied a rosary, his medications, and medical attention; he demanded the preservation of the prison’s security camera footage.

  He also questioned the procedure by which he arrived at El Encuentro prison, stating that the United States did not extradite him in connection with the investigation into the assassination of former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, but rather deported him through an immigration procedure.

  The former official stated that the Prosecutor’s Office requested a court order for pretrial detention on August 28, while he was still in U.S. custody and being transported to Ecuador.

jdt/mar/avr

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