RIYADH: The deaths of two female inmates at the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center in Al-Malaz has sparked protests from their family members as well as citizens.
A 30 year-old-inmate, identified as MT, died of head injuries last Sunday while another inmate, Iman Alzaidi, died under mysterious circumstances just a few days before MT’s death.
MT was hit on the head with a heavy object, allegedly by a worker at the rehabilitation center, local media reported Saturday.
An emergency medical team, which reached the center the following day, found bruises all over MT’s body. A source said there are CCTV cameras in the center and the events are documented. “This proves that the center’s staff are not bothered about the cameras and the inmates.”
The mother of MT was quoted as saying that her daughter had been in the center for the past 10 years. “I was in great pain to see what happened to my daughter during my last visit there,” she said.
The grieving mother said she saw a wide and deep gash at the back of her daughter’s head and bruises all over her body, which reflects the brutality she suffered.
“When I sought to know the reason for the injuries, the staff at the center told me that my daughter fell,” she said.
The mother said the nature of injuries showed that her daughter was assaulted and that it cannot be due to a fall. “Her psychological state was poor and she did not want to communicate with me.”
The death of Iman Alzaidi had also led to angry reactions from her family, as well as some citizens on Twitter. The furor grew louder over the death because the center organized a party the very next day, which Twitterati said reflects on the "indifference of the staff toward the inmates," the report said quoting sources.
Nawal Turkistani, head of the center, said it was difficult to cancel the party because arrangements and coordination had already been made. “The aim of the party was to create an atmosphere of happiness and joy among the inmates and Iman died a natural death,” she said.
The parents of Iman, however, expressed serious doubts over Turkistani’s claims and suspected the cause of the death, the report added.
A 30 year-old-inmate, identified as MT, died of head injuries last Sunday while another inmate, Iman Alzaidi, died under mysterious circumstances just a few days before MT’s death.
MT was hit on the head with a heavy object, allegedly by a worker at the rehabilitation center, local media reported Saturday.
An emergency medical team, which reached the center the following day, found bruises all over MT’s body. A source said there are CCTV cameras in the center and the events are documented. “This proves that the center’s staff are not bothered about the cameras and the inmates.”
The mother of MT was quoted as saying that her daughter had been in the center for the past 10 years. “I was in great pain to see what happened to my daughter during my last visit there,” she said.
The grieving mother said she saw a wide and deep gash at the back of her daughter’s head and bruises all over her body, which reflects the brutality she suffered.
“When I sought to know the reason for the injuries, the staff at the center told me that my daughter fell,” she said.
The mother said the nature of injuries showed that her daughter was assaulted and that it cannot be due to a fall. “Her psychological state was poor and she did not want to communicate with me.”
The death of Iman Alzaidi had also led to angry reactions from her family, as well as some citizens on Twitter. The furor grew louder over the death because the center organized a party the very next day, which Twitterati said reflects on the "indifference of the staff toward the inmates," the report said quoting sources.
Nawal Turkistani, head of the center, said it was difficult to cancel the party because arrangements and coordination had already been made. “The aim of the party was to create an atmosphere of happiness and joy among the inmates and Iman died a natural death,” she said.
The parents of Iman, however, expressed serious doubts over Turkistani’s claims and suspected the cause of the death, the report added.
