Photos of women stripped naked and humiliated, posted online | The Observers

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05/10/2009 / GUINEA

Photos of women stripped naked and humiliated, posted online

Photographs of Guineans being humiliated naked in the street during last Monday's opposition crackdown are circulating on the Net. One of our Observers says he witnessed the scene when this photo was taken.

A few days after the brutal repression in Conakry last week, several photos of women being abused by soldiers were posted on the Guinea News forum. We were sent these ghastly images but chose only to publish one, after blurring the face of the victim.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has called for an investigation in order to bring to justice "all those responsible for carrying out summary executions, rapes and other human rights violations" in what she described as a "bloodbath" at the hands of the Guinea's army.

Contributors

“I saw several other women being abused by soldiers”

Lamine Camara (not his real name) works as a journalist for a Guinean radio station. He witnessed the trouble last Monday.

I covered the demonstration for my station. After the first shots, everyone starting running for their lives. It was at that point when I saw this woman, in front of one the stadium's two exits. She was pushed to the floor; a soldier was stripping her naked. I don't know what happened afterwards, we had to flee. But I saw several other women being abused by soldiers. Each time they caught one, they'd ask what she was doing there and why she was demonstrating. I've never heard of such a things happening in Guinea. It's truly shocking."

“‘She’s not my sister; not my cousin. I’ll do as I please!’”

Nankouma, another journalist, was also at the protest. He too saw women singled out and attacked.

I saw several women being ill-treated. Once the crackle of gunfire started, everything turned to chaos. The soldiers were armed up to their teeth. Protestors tried to break down the stadium door to get out. As I rushed past the women's toilets I saw a soldier ripping off a girl's jeans. Nearby, there were five others, including one woman who looked older than 60, naked in the middle of the crowd. Another on the floor was crying and screaming, as though she had just been raped. Almost nobody did anything, because we were at the mercy of the soldiers. I saw two policemen trying to intervene. But one of the soldiers shouted ‘Why isn't she at home being a good housewife? She's not my sister; not my cousin. I'll do as I please!'"

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Comments

It's time for the international community to act!!!

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 09/10/2009 - 20:35.

Please the world should not false the Guinean who were abuses for Democracy. The international community should not false to act because of their self interest. The interest of humanity come first.

Poor Guinea, nowadays?

Submitted by Gilbert Illinois (not verified) on Fri, 09/10/2009 - 16:56.

I can not believe something like that happening during those days. They are not afraid doing such crime and until the person who call himself president of Guinea understand that military and civil, politics and military can not give a good blend.
Whether he is military or he is head of state. people citizen of the world, you should refuse receiving such criminal in your country and the united Africa organization need should hold severs sanction on that government but not on free and innocent Guinea citizen. Oh my Africa!!!!

This is the problem of

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 09/10/2009 - 09:26.

This is the problem of letting the military deal with civilians, this kind of mess always happens.

re:Guinea - only in Africa!

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 07/10/2009 - 04:02.

Where else but amongst the dusty ,desperate streets of yet another African despotic regime...these scenes are as shocking as any we are ever likely to see in any place on Earth.

It's for this reason that African countries will NEVER prosper as they are, it seems, UNIFORMLY unable to subject themselves to a civilized form of governance or rid themselves of these barbaric acts against the laws of humanity.

Shame! How much longer must Africa bleed?

how could you

Submitted by sherry (not verified) on Wed, 07/10/2009 - 02:55.

how could this happen ? We are human beings or are we I have seen better than this in the wild . do they have no pride in themselves or there country.to do this to another human being is wrong and each and ever one of them should have to pay for what they did . I for one hope they dearly

sherry

this needs to stop... I am

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 08/10/2009 - 15:06.

this needs to stop... I am an african women and when I hear about issues like our own men being so insensitive to us ... I cry, I die... It seems like no one wants to help us. We are helpless.

such a political act is not

Submitted by kwame (not verified) on Fri, 09/10/2009 - 23:21.

such a political act is not to be left unpunished . I don't have any probem with the power of dear Dadis CAmara , but i would like him to remember that a supreme bieng will judge us . I would like international community to know that this is what their are called to react witout delaying in.

Too late

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 13/10/2009 - 15:19.

No one will react until It is too late. This happens over and over in history, this time wont be different. Let God be with us and our country Guinea.