Guinea-Bissau army 'beats ex-PM' 

  
Amnesty wants the military reminded that they cannot  arrest civilians

Guinea-Bissau's former Prime Minister Francisco Jose  Fadul is recovering in 
hospital after being beaten by people dressed as  soldiers.  
Mr Fadul said 15 armed men in uniform had raided his house, assaulting  him 
and his wife and stealing computers, phones and even their wedding  rings.  
The beating came after he had urged the government to hold the military  to 
account for alleged corruption.  
Meanwhile, presidential elections have been set for 28 June.  
This is two months after the 60-day limit set by the constitution  following 
the assassination of President Joao Bernardo Vieira on 2 March.   
Mr Fadul is planning to contest the presidential elections on behalf of  his 
party, Padec.  
  
 
The government must investigate immediately  these arrests and beatings by 
the military 



Erwin van der Borght 
Amnesty  International

He said he would sue the prime minister and defence minister over the  
incident, as they are responsible for the military.  
"They were wearing military uniforms, and they had Kalashnikov rifles,  and 
military boots," Mr Fadul said.  
Amnesty has called for the government to investigate the beating of Mr  Fadul 
and prominent lawyer Pedro Infanda.  
Mr Infanda was detained for four days and tortured after holding a news  
conference, in which the military was criticised last month, Amnesty  reports.  
"The government must investigate immediately these arrests and beatings  by 
the military, and ensure those responsible are brought to justice and  that 
similar attacks do not happen again," said Amnesty's Africa Programme  Director 
Erwin van der Borght.  
"The military must be told in no uncertain terms that they do not have  the 
authority to arrest or detain civilians."  
Last week, the prime minister of Cape Verde, which has close ties to  
Guinea-Bissau, said the country could not afford to hold elections within  the 
prescribed period.  
Mr Vieira was killed by a group of soldiers, who apparently blamed him  for 
the death, hours earlier, of the army chief of staff.  
Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups and instability.  
Its institutions have been made even more fragile since the country  became a 
major hub for trafficking cocaine from Latin America to Europe.   
Some senior military officials have been implicated in the drugs  trade.
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