Opposition Leader purportedly lists concerns about prison conditions from behind bars

Last Updated on Saturday, 7 November 2026, 13:12 by Written By Denis Chabrol

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has purportedly made several damning allegations about the conditions under which he is being held on remand at the Lusignan Prison.

A Guyana Prison Service spokesman confirmed receiving the document  and said it was sent to the Director of Prisons for his attention.

In an unsigned, hand-written statement. said to be that of her brother, disseminated to the media by his sister, Hana Mohamed-Dmitriyeva on Saturday, he allegedly raised concerns about hygiene, religion and mental health.

“Good Morning Members of the Press, Human Rights and Civic Bodies. Please find attached a comprehensive handwritten dossier written on November 4, 2026 by the Leader of the Opposition of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana at the Lusignan Prison where he is being held, detailing multiple human rights violations against him under the United Nations Minimum Rules for Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules),” she said.

Mr Mohamed called for the media and human rights bodies to visit the prison.

The release of the statement that Ms Mohamed-Dmitriyeva said was written by her brother came days after Denying that the politician was being kept in inhumane conditions, Attorney General Anil Nandlall presented a picture of the cell in which Mr Mohamed is being kept while appearing in a bail application by Mr the inmate’s mother, Bonita Mohamed. “Mr Mohamed is not kept in any oppressive conditions,  is not kept in any solitary confinement,” he said this week. Instead, he said the leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party was being kept in the facilities that are prepared for what the prison describes as a high-profile prisoner.

The Guyana Prison Service on Monday, November 2 denied that Mr Mohamed was incarcerated in violation of his human rights.

Mr Mohamed and 20-year-old police constable Ryan Greene were on October 30 remanded to prison until November 24, having been charged under Section 9 (2)(b) of the Cybercrime Act which states that a person commits an offence who, through authorised or unauthorised means, obtains or accesses electronic data which relates to the national security of the State or is stored on a computer system and is protected against unauthorised access, and intentionally and without lawful excuse or justification grants access to or gives the electronic data to another person, whether or not he knows that the other person is authorised to receive or have access to the electronic data.

If found guilty on indictment, they could be fined GYD$8 million and jailed for five years.

The charge stems from Mr Greene’s alleged downloading of the video of an October 12 shooting at the car in which Mr Mohamed, his driver and a staff member were travelling allegedly by the Head of the Guyana Police Force’ espionage department, senior superintendent Prem Narine.

Following are the concerns that Mr Mohamed’s sister said he dispatched in his handwriting

1.No fan in cell, excessive heat & the building is a FURNACE.
2. Cannot sleep because the light in cell has no switch to turn off.
3. All 50 cells in the building lights are on 24/7 & even in the Bldg.
4. Light in cell is about 4 feet in length x 12 inches in width, driving enormous heat. The PPP Govt. is depriving you from resting.
5. No grill or windows to look out, only the main door has a mesh to the top of the door to see other inmates in their cells to the opposite of you. The building is a fully enclosed one.
6. All meals you eat in the cell, they pass meals through the door where an 8 inch x 6 inch trap door is built on your cell door. Feed you like animals.
7. In this Bldg you cannot eat with other inmates.
8. Smoke from the dumpsite would normally enter the building, making it even more difficult to breathe, the building is already a furnace.
9. Shower 2 times a day, 5 mins per a shower, with foot shackles on camera in ablution area & 2 Prison Officers with live rounds in their gun guarding me while bathing, no privacy.
10. When taking a bath in the afternoon, the water is extremely hot, can give you health issues with the building being hot already.
11. Inmates would spend 23 hrs 50 mins locked in their cells per day, the 10 minutes is to bathe.
12. Only Saturdays families can visit for 20 mins max. The visit is done in a room in the same building with officers listening & cuffs & shackles on.
13. No clock in the building, so you can’t know when is day or night.
14. The G.P.S is protecting me from GOD all. You need to know the time to pray. BLATANT VIOLATION!!!
15. Inmates said the Minister of Home Affairs never visited this building.
16. Send G.P.S send to the Tender Board for contract to supply table tennis balls. No
17. Inmates are entitled to 1 outgoing call a week lasting 5 mins max. This call is done in a room in the same building with cuffs & shackles on.
18. Inmates are entitled to 2 incoming calls a month lasting 5 mins per call. Same building with cuffs & shackles on.

Prison officers would search your cell 2 times a day, tumbling each cell without gloves etc. Can cause health issues for inmates.
20. When going to the shower area, they handcuff & shackle your feet to walk to the area from your cell.
21. Inmates reported that around 3 hrs before I entered Bldg 5 on Friday Prison Officers already knew I was coming, they moved 17 inmates from Bldg 5 to another Bldg (13 From The Top Floor & 4 From The Bottom).
24. It seems like the G.P.S was aware of me coming to prison before I was remanded.
22. I am the only inmate on the top floor, reason is the PPP is hoping to break me mentally.
23. Inmates said they never sanitize the cell I am in presently when they hurried to move every inmate off the top floor.
25. No Religious Leader never entered Bldg 5. Inmates said they cannot attend Friday Jumaah Muslim Prayers in the other 5 Buildings in Lusignan. Inmates requested to go to the other buildings but they were refused.
26. Imaams would come and lead prayers in all the other buildings.
27. Thank God for me the 8 inmates said as it relates to their recreation time. They said for over 3 months they had not played table tennis. Recreation time is 2 days per month lasting 15 mins each. They had no table tennis balls, so they finally received balls to play after I am here. For months they would come one at a time for 15 mins with handcuffs & shackles on, just standing till their 15 minute is up. Today (4th Nov) they finally get to play indoors with prison officers for 15 mins max, 2 days a month.
28. No Halaal Food.
29. After Freedom House on Robb Street, Bldg 5 at Lusignan Prison, is the worst building in Guyana.
30. Inmates said that they never came out of the Bldg.
31. Bldg 5 is half way to hell.
32. Inmate Timothy Mckenzie was moved today (4th Nov) from cell (17) out of the Bldg because he needs mental evaluation. Inmates said he entered Bldg 5 about 5 months ago & he was mentally ok, respectable to everyone & in no time this Bldg broke him mentally. He was in general population for a number of years. We suspected they moved him todays if the media & human rights bodies come to visit.
33. On the 7th July, 2026, Chief Justice, Chancellor & other Judges visited Bldg 5. Inmate Philemon Boodhoo was in Cell 39 & the CJ listened to his complains. He expressed same listed above to the CJ. He was victimized the same day by the G.P.S. They shackled him for 37 days straight with body belt & foot shackles. No phone call, no visit, no creation, no tuck shop.

• Why Daniel Seeram wasn’t in Bldg 5, since they are claiming security reasons.
• Inmate Calvin King took Nigel Hughes to move to the High Court about the inhumane conditions at Bldg 5 8 months ago. Talk to Nigel.
• 3 Barima Crewmen spent 3 Days in Bldg. 5 they told the inmates that they will kill themselves before they stay here. They cried 3 days straight & they moved them to Camp St. The officers took away their sheets & towels before they hang themselves in Bldg 5. You can talk to them.
• They complained to welfare & psychiatric doc (Rajkumar)
• The G.P.S told him Prison has authority to enforce own rules.
• He had to eat with shackles on.
• His family called Minister Oneidge she promised but to no avail.

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Below is a statement issued by the Guyana Prison Service on November 2, 2026 about the conditions under which Mr Mohamed is being held on remand at the Lusignan Prison.