The Guyana Prison Service says Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed spent approximately nine hours and 20 minutes outside his holding area on Sunday, disputing his claim that he was confined for 23 hours and 50 minutes.
The statement, issued shortly after Mohamed spoke on Monday about being held in solitary confinement at the Lusignan Prison, outlined what the service described as his documented activities on October 31 and November 1.
“Accordingly, any assertion that Mr. Mohamed was confined to his holding area for ‘23 hours and 50 minutes’ on that day is inconsistent with the documented prison record,” the service stated.
Its account specifically addressed Sunday’s arrangements. It did not provide a total for the time Mohamed spent outside his holding area on Saturday.
According to the service, Mohamed was briefed on the admission process, prison rules and general expectations on Saturday. He received visits from relatives and attorneys and was permitted a telephone call to a family member lasting approximately 16 minutes.
On Sunday, the service said, he was unlocked at 6 am for morning hygiene and received breakfast delivered by a relative at 6.40 am.
He attended a welfare counselling session lasting approximately one hour and 30 minutes and made three telephone calls to family members, totalling approximately 29 minutes.
The service said Mohamed also received a two-hour visit from an attorney, during which lunch supplied by a relative was delivered.
He was permitted afternoon hygiene at 3.35 pm and was seen by a medical officer at 3.55 pm, when he was provided with cough medication. Reading and writing materials were also supplied.
Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot visited Mohamed at 7 pm, during which, according to the service, he indicated that he had no complaints. Security checks were conducted periodically throughout the night.
Although the service put his total time outside the holding area at nine hours and 20 minutes, the statement did not provide start and finish times for every activity or explain how that total was calculated.
The latest statement follows an earlier rejection of allegations by Mohamed’s family that he was being treated inhumanely.
On Sunday the Prison Service had classified Mohamed as a “high-profile” prisoner following his admission on October 30. The service said the classification governed his accommodation and supervision and was a security measure rather than punishment. That statement did not specifically resolve the family’s claims about solitary confinement and continuous bright lighting.
The conditions of his detention have also been raised in a High Court application filed by his mother, Bonita Mohamed, seeking to overturn the refusal of bail in the surveillance footage case.
Her affidavit alleges that Mohamed is being held in solitary confinement in a poorly ventilated cell, exposed to extreme heat and smoke and fumes from a nearby dumpsite, with severe restrictions on human interaction. Those allegations remain disputed by the Prison Service.
Mohamed and Constable Ryan Greene were remanded until November 24 after pleading not guilty to a cybercrime charge concerning the alleged unauthorised disclosure of police surveillance footage.
The Prison Service said it would continue to ensure that Mohamed, like others in its custody, was treated in accordance with the law, established procedures and applicable standards while maintaining institutional security.
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