Tattoos Used To Convict Individuals

COMAYAGUA – The recent fire that broke out in the overcrowded Honduras prison of Comayagua, brought a shocking discovery to light. More than half of the inmates housed at that prison were never arrested, never received a conviction and never had a court hearing.

Instead, the tattoos on their bodies are what Honduran officials relied on to ‘convict’ these individuals and sentence them. The news leaked from an official Honduras government report that ended up in the hands of the Associated Foreign Press.

The report indicates that at least half of the 856 prisoners at Comayagua were either awaiting a court date or were suspected to be gang members.

Strict anti-gang laws in Honduras make it possible for anyone to be thrown in jail just because of the tattoo one wears.

Furthermore the report revealed that the Comayagua prison is equipped to handle only 500 prisoners. At the time of the fire there were over 800 individuals housed there.

Additionally, the document shows that during the day there are normally 51 guards on duty, yet during the night the fire broke out, there were only 12 of them.

The blaze started in the cell of one inmate who put his mattress on fire after he called the local governor saying he was going to burn the building down.

Firemen were quickly at the scene but were at first not allowed to enter the prison. When the rescue teams were eventually allowed to enter the prison they were unable to find guards or keys to open the cells and let the inmates out.

Eladio Chica, an inmate who survived the fire said:

“It was horrible. All I could see were flames. When we finally managed to make it outside, we could see men being burned alive in their cells, their bodies fused to the metal bars from the intense heat.”

The prison warden has refused to comment about the management of the Comayagua prison and its recent disaster.

Since the fire erupted late Tuesday night, the death toll has risen to 377; many of the victims are prisoners who were burned alive while being trapped in their cells.

READ:
 Hundreds Killed In Honduras Prison Fire

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