Foreign Prisoners Network

16/09/2026

16/09/2026

MELROSE PRISON: BASIC HYGIENE IS NOT A PRIVILEGE.

These photographs, supplied as taken this week inside Melrose Prison in Mauritius, raise deeply disturbing concerns.

According to the accompanying account, detainees must use open toilets without adequate privacy or toilet paper, leaving them to clean themselves with their bare hands. No toilet paper is visible in the toilet photograph, although the images alone cannot establish what supplies are routinely available.

If confirmed, these conditions are degrading and utterly unacceptable. Every detainee must have access to clean water, soap, adequate hygiene supplies and privacy.

The Mauritius Prison Service owes the public answers. Allow an independent inspection. Publish the findings. Correct every failure immediately.

Taking away someone’s freedom does not give the state permission to strip away their dignity.

18/08/2026

British Father Ashley Tierney Faces Trial in Mauritius After Seven Years in Pre-Trial Detention

This case now stands as a wider test of justice in Mauritius. A person who has not been convicted is supposed to remain presumed innocent.

Foreign Prisoners Network calls for urgent international media scrutiny, fair trial monitoring, and investigation into allegations of torture and abuse

A man should not disappear into a prison system for nearly seven years without conviction, without scrutiny, and without the world asking hard questions.” — Jean Jacques, Foreign Prisoners Network

Foreign Prisoners Network is calling on international media, British media, human rights organisations and trial observers to closely monitor the upcoming court proceedings involving Ashley Tierney, a British national whose case is scheduled to be heard in Port Louis, Mauritius, from 7 September to 18 September 2026.

Ashley Tierney has now spent almost seven years in pre-trial detention without a conviction.His case has attracted repeated public attention over the years and has become a matter of serious concern not only because of its exceptional duration, but also because of the deeply troubling allegations surrounding his treatment in detention, the conduct of the case, and the human cost of prolonged incarceration without judgment.

According to information and written testimony shared with Foreign Prisoners Network, Tierney has endured years of extreme physical and psychological suffering, including alleged beatings, intimidation, isolation, deprivation, and degrading treatment while in Mauritian custody.He has also been separated from his child for the duration of his detention and, according to information received by Foreign Prisoners Network, has not seen his child in more than seven years.

A Case Raising Serious Questions Ashley Tierney, a British citizen from England, was arrested in Mauritius in November 2019. Since then, he has remained in detention without any final conviction in the principal matter for which he was originally arrested.

In his written account, Tierney alleges that he was forced into carrying narcotics under threat before arriving in Mauritius, that discrepancies arose in the evidential handling of capsules allegedly recovered from his body, and that he later became the subject of a second prosecution linked to substance allegedly remaining inside his body after his imprisonment.

He further alleges that he was denied a proper opportunity to fully state his defence for years, while court processes continued around him. These are grave matters that deserve full public scrutiny.Allegations of Torture, Abuse and Inhuman TreatmentThe written material received by Foreign Prisoners Network contains deeply disturbing allegations regarding Tierney’s treatment after entering the Mauritian prison system.

These allegations include:
severe physical assaults by prison or security officers; prolonged isolation and punishment block detention; sleep deprivation and repeated intimidation; inadequate food, poor sanitation and degrading living conditions; threats, coercion and humiliation; denial or obstruction of timely legal defence opportunities; long-term psychological harm arising from detention conditions.

Foreign Prisoners Network is not a court and does not determine criminal guilt or innocence. However, no accused person, convicted or unconvicted, should be subjected to torture, inhuman treatment, or degrading punishment.

If even a fraction of these allegations is true, they demand independent scrutiny at the highest level.

This case now stands as a wider test of justice in Mauritius. A person who has not been convicted is supposed to remain presumed innocent. Yet Ashley Tierney has spent almost seven years behind bars awaiting the proper conclusion of legal proceedings.

That reality alone should concern any legal observer, journalist, diplomat or human rights body. The issue is not merely the prosecution itself. The issue is whether justice delayed on this scale becomes justice denied.

Foreign Prisoners Network Calls For:
full media scrutiny of the trial scheduled from 7 to 18 September 2026 in Port Louis; international trial observation by journalists, rights groups and legal monitors;strict protection of Ashley Tierney’s right to a fair trial; renewed examination of the reasons for nearly seven years of pre-trial detention;serious and independent attention to the allegations of physical abuse, psychological torture and degrading treatment; transparency regarding his detention history, prison treatment and procedural delays; attention from British authorities and international human rights institutions.

Whatever view may ultimately be taken of the criminal charges, one principle must remain immovable: A man should not disappear into a prison system for nearly seven years without conviction, without scrutiny, and without the world asking hard questions.

Ashley Tierney’s upcoming trial is not only a criminal case. It is also a serious human rights story, a due process story, and a test of whether fairness still has meaning when a person has waited almost seven years for justice. What if the court decides he is innocent?

Foreign Prisoners Network urges media outlets in Mauritius, the United Kingdom and internationally to report on this case, monitor the proceedings, and examine the broader conditions that have shaped it.
Notes to Editors Ashley Tierney is a British national from England. He was arrested in Mauritius in November 2019.

His case is expected to be heard in Port Louis from 7 September to 18 September 2026.

He has spent almost seven years in pre-trial detention without conviction. Foreign Prisoners Network has received written testimony from Tierney detailing allegations of abuse, mistreatment, procedural unfairness and severe psychological suffering during detention.

These allegations are serious and should be independently examined. They remain allegations unless and until established by competent legal or investigative authorities.

09/08/2026

Foreign prisoners launch mass hunger strike in Mauritius

Dozens of foreign detainees at Melrose Prison in Mauritius have begun a mass hunger strike to protest systematic human rights violations and prolonged pre-trial detention without due process. The action underscores growing international concern over conditions at the high-security facility, where some prisoners have reportedly been held in remand for years without trial. According to the Foreign Prisoners Network, detainees are enduring inhumane conditions while awaiting their day in court, which for many has yet to arrive.

Years in limbo without trial
The Mauritian prison system has developed a troubling pattern of holding foreign nationals in extended pre-trial remand, sometimes for several years, without bringing cases to court. Detainees at Melrose Prison face overcrowded cells, limited access to legal representation, and minimal contact with consular officials from their home countries. These conditions appear to contravene multiple international human rights agreements that Mauritius has signed, including provisions guaranteeing the right to a speedy trial and humane treatment during detention.

The hunger strike represents a measure of last resort by prisoners who feel they have exhausted all other avenues for redress. Many participants have already spent years behind bars without formal charges being filed or trial dates being set. The lack of judicial progress has left families in anguish and raised serious concerns about the country's adherence to international legal standards.

Harsh realities behind bars
Conditions at Melrose Prison compound the injustice of prolonged detention. Former detainees and advocacy organizations describe inadequate medical care, insufficient food, and physical infrastructure that falls far below acceptable standards. Foreign prisoners face particular challenges, including language barriers that prevent them from understanding their legal situation and isolation from their support networks.

"These individuals are being held in a legal black hole where basic human rights are systematically ignored," says Jean Jacques, spokesperson for the Foreign Prisoners Network. "The hunger strike is a cry for help from people who feel they have been abandoned by the very legal system meant to protect them."

International scrutiny intensifies
The situation has attracted attention from human rights organizations and foreign governments whose citizens are among those detained. The Foreign Prisoners Network is calling on international bodies to urge Mauritian authorities to expedite trials, improve detention conditions, and ensure compliance with international legal standards.

The organization emphasizes that justice delayed is justice denied, particularly when delay extends to years of imprisonment without conviction.

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09/08/2026

FOREIGN DETAINEES AT MELROSE PRISON ISSUE URGENT HUMAN RIGHTS APPEAL

Handwritten letters from prisoners allege drastic cuts to prison earnings, restricted ability to maintain family contact, discrimination and degrading treatment — Foreign Prisoners Network calls for immediate independent intervention

Foreign Prisoners Network has received a series of handwritten letters from foreign detainees currently held at Melrose Prison in Mauritius, describing what they say is a rapidly deteriorating situation inside the institution.
The prisoners are appealing directly for international attention and human rights intervention.

Among the most immediate complaints is an alleged decision to reduce the amount prisoners can earn from prison work from approximately Rs 550 per month to just Rs 125 per month. According to the detainees, this income is not merely discretionary spending. They say it is essential for obtaining permitted items from the prison canteen and, critically, for maintaining telephone contact with their families and lawyers.
For foreign prisoners whose relatives may live thousands of kilometres away and who cannot regularly receive visits, telephone contact may represent their principal connection to children, spouses, parents and other relatives.

The prisoners describe the consequences of the measure in stark terms: having to choose between basic personal needs and maintaining contact with their families.

Foreign Prisoners Network therefore calls upon the Mauritius Prison Service to immediately clarify whether this reduction has been introduced, on what legal and administrative basis it was decided, to whom it applies and how its consequences for prisoners have been assessed. Allegations of discrimination and degrading treatment The correspondence raises considerably wider concerns.

Foreign detainees allege discriminatory treatment within the prison system, including distinctions allegedly being made according to nationality, ethnicity, race and physical appearance. They describe a culture in which certain foreign prisoners believe they are regarded and treated as inferior especially by the head of Melrose Prison Mr. Ancharaz who is leading the prison in a way which is in contradiction with every Human Rights Treaty.

These are serious allegations. They should neither be dismissed nor accepted without investigation. They must be independently investigated.

The United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules require prisoners to be treated with respect for their inherent dignity and prohibit discrimination. They also recognise regular communication with family and friends as an important element of detention and require an equitable system of remuneration for prisoner labour.

Foreign Prisoners Network considers that deliberately or disproportionately placing family communication beyond the practical financial reach of prisoners would raise serious human-rights concerns, particularly for foreign nationals who have no meaningful alternative means of maintaining family relationships.

“We feel forgotten” The letters reveal something that statistics and official reports rarely show: the profound feeling of isolation among foreign detainees. One prisoner describes the outside recipient of the correspondence as one of the prisoners’ few remaining friends and asks that their situation continue to be brought to public attention. Others specifically request contact with human-rights organisations inside and outside Mauritius.

The message running through the correspondence is unmistakable: they believe nobody is listening. Foreign Prisoners Network is listening. And we are asking the international community to listen as well. Serious questions surrounding confidence in the drug-enforcement system The prisoners also repeatedly refer to the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) and express deep distrust of parts of the Mauritian drug-enforcement system. Their concerns cannot simply be dismissed as rhetoric from prisoners.

Mauritius has recently seen a number of disturbing criminal investigations involving police personnel. In March 2026, Mauritian media reported the arrest of a police inspector who had previously served within ADSU in connection with an alleged drug-importation conspiracy. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination. In July, a serving police officer attached to the presidential VIP Security Unit was arrested in an investigation concerning alleged co***ne trafficking. Again, the presumption of innocence applies. Separately, an investigation into an alleged cannabis-trafficking route between Réunion and Mauritius recently resulted in the arrest of the husband of a Mauritian junior minister on a provisional allegation of conspiracy to import drugs. The Prime Minister publicly stated that investigators should proceed without political interference.

None of these cases proves that ADSU or the Mauritius Police Force as institutions are corrupt. They do, however, demonstrate why independent scrutiny, evidential integrity and accountability are indispensable, particularly where foreign defendants face extremely serious drug charges and potentially lengthy periods of detention.
A criminal accusation does not extinguish human rights Foreign Prisoners Network emphasises that this appeal is not an argument for impunity. Mauritius has every right and indeed a responsibility to combat organised crime and international drug trafficking.

But the enforcement of criminal law can never justify abandoning the fundamental rights of people accused or convicted of offences.
A prisoner remains a human being. A person held on remand remains entitled to the presumption of innocence. Nationality cannot determine dignity. Race cannot determine treatment. And imprisonment cannot become a licence for humiliation, arbitrary deprivation or institutional indifference.

Immediate independent inspection requested Foreign Prisoners Network now calls for urgent action and requests: An unannounced independent inspection of Melrose Prison by the National Preventive Mechanism Division of the National Human Rights Commission of Mauritius.
An immediate review of the alleged reduction in prisoner remuneration from approximately Rs 1,550 to Rs 125 per month, including its impact upon access to communication and basic permitted necessities. Guaranteed practical and affordable access to family communication, particularly for foreign prisoners whose families cannot visit Mauritius.

A confidential investigation into allegations of racial, ethnic and nationality-based discrimination within Melrose Prison. Protection against retaliation for prisoners who communicate with lawyers, consular representatives, journalists or human-rights organisations about detention conditions. Confidential and meaningful access to legal counsel and consular assistance for foreign detainees.

Independent review of criminal cases where material evidence or investigative actions originated from law-enforcement officers who subsequently became themselves subject to serious integrity or drug-related criminal investigations, wherever such circumstances are relevant to the reliability of the evidence.
Publication by the authorities of the rules governing prisoner work, remuneration, telephone access and canteen expenditure, so that these policies can be independently scrutinised.

Mauritius already has a National Preventive Mechanism Division specifically tasked with ensuring that authorities respect the basic human rights of detainees and with reference to the Nelson Mandela Rules. The Office of the Ombudsman also has jurisdiction to investigate complaints concerning alleged maladministration by both the Police Force and Prison Service.

There is therefore no institutional excuse for silence. Foreign Prisoners Network: “Open the doors to independent scrutiny” Foreign Prisoners Network calls upon the Government of Mauritius, the Mauritius Prison Service, the National Human Rights Commission, diplomatic missions representing foreign detainees and international human-rights organisations to respond. We do not ask anyone to accept every allegation contained in these letters without examination.

We ask precisely the opposite: investigate them. Enter Melrose Prison. Speak privately with foreign prisoners without prison officers present. Examine the financial records. Verify the remuneration decision.

Review access to telephones. Investigate allegations of discriminatory treatment. Examine whether prisoners can communicate freely with lawyers and diplomatic representatives. And publish the findings. Human rights have little value if they exist only in legislation and official reports. Their true test comes behind locked doors, where the people affected have the least power to make themselves heard.

Today, a group of foreign prisoners in Mauritius has found a way to make itself heard.
The question now is whether anyone in authority is prepared to listen.

MEDIA CONTACT Foreign Prisoners Network – Mauritius International Prisoner Rights & Human Rights Advocacy www.foreign-prisoners.com

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01/08/2026

Torture Mauritius Prisons concerns expose justice crisis in paradise nation United Nations Human Rights

While Mauritius is often promoted as a tropical paradise, mounting evidence suggests that foreign nationals detained there may face prolonged pretrial imprisonment, allegations of police violence and severe drug penalties that appear to contradict international human rights standards. The United Nations Committee against Torture has recently raised serious concerns about torture, deaths in custody and inadequate investigations into official misconduct. Foreign Prisoners Network is now calling for urgent transparency and independent oversight of a system in which defendants can reportedly languish for years without trial.

UN committee raises concerns over detention practices
In May 2025, the UN Committee against Torture expressed serious concerns about conditions in Mauritius, citing reports of torture, deaths in police custody and violence by officers. The committee questioned prison conditions, the treatment of detainees and the effectiveness of investigations into alleged abuses. These findings raise questions about the island nation's carefully cultivated image as a modern democracy governed by the rule of law.

"Every allegation of torture or degrading treatment must be investigated promptly, independently and transparently," says a spokesperson for Foreign Prisoners Network. "When investigations are conducted exclusively within the same institutional structure whose members stand accused, it undermines confidence and allows serious abuses to remain hidden from public scrutiny."

Severe drug laws pose hidden risks for travelers
Tourists and business travelers are often unaware that Mauritius enforces very strict drug legislation. Possession offenses carry substantial prison sentences, while trafficking charges can result in decades of incarceration. Foreign nationals may be particularly vulnerable if offered free holidays or asked to transport parcels, exposing themselves to serious legal consequences even without knowledge of illicit contents.

Pretrial detention extends beyond legal limits
Foreign defendants report spending years in pretrial detention without substantive hearings, effectively serving punishment before conviction. A 2023 case involving a Dutch businessman illustrates the precarious position of foreign nationals, who may face language barriers, limited financial resources and restricted access to consular assistance while detained thousands of kilometers from home.

An exceptional case from 2023 illustrates how hopeless a foreign defendant may perceive their position within the Mauritian criminal justice system to be. The individual's name, a former resident of Mauritius, has been withheld for privacy reasons.

The Dutch businessman was arrested in March 2023 following an allegation of suspected corruption. The Dutch national disputed the allegation and maintained that the matter was a commercial and civil dispute governed by contractual arrangements and an agreed dispute-resolution mechanism.

He was therefore released on conditional bail of 50.000 euro in April 2023. According to his account, he nevertheless remained effectively trapped in Mauritius, without a clear prospect of a prompt hearing on the substance of the case or the definitive lifting of his bail restrictions.

The individual maintains that the CID improperly treated the matter as a criminal fraud case, whereas he argues that it was an international commercial dispute that should have been addressed through civil proceedings or the contractually agreed dispute-resolution process.

The Dutch national ultimately decided to leave Mauritius by sea. In an inflatable boat measuring only 3.30 metres, he reportedly spent approximately 29 hours crossing the open waters between Mauritius and the French island of Réunion.

His ability to complete this exceptionally demanding crossing must be considered partly in light of his background as a former marine. Through military training and years of experience functioning and surviving under harsh conditions, he says he possessed the mental resilience, discipline and practical skills that may have proved decisive during such an emergency.

He has also made serious allegations concerning his treatment in detention and the manner in which investigative powers were allegedly exercised in his case. His allegations include physical ill-treatment, psychological pressure, inadequate legal protection and the possible misuse of legal procedures. He has further raised questions about potential improper influence, conflicts of interest and corruption surrounding the handling of the case.

These allegations are extremely serious, but they cannot be presented as legally established facts without an independent investigation. Nor, however, should they be ignored. It is precisely the responsibility of independent supervisory bodies to determine what actually occurred in Mauritius, and more interestingly the role of corruption within the Mauritius Police Force (CID) in this matter.

Prolonged isolation, inadequate medical care and psychological pressure can amount to prohibited cruel treatment under international law.

Mauritius should provide complete transparency regarding complaints of violence, deaths in custody, disciplinary investigations, access to independent medical and legal counsel, and the lawfulness of extended pretrial detention. Until independent examination occurs, concerns will persist that serious human rights violations remain concealed within the criminal justice system.

About Foreign Prisoners Network
Foreign Prisoners Network is an organization dedicated to assisting foreign nationals detained under extreme circumstances in long-term pretrial remand in Mauritius. The network focuses on cases within the high-security Melrose prison, where detainees face exceptionally difficult conditions. The organization advocates for transparency, independent oversight and respect for international human rights standards within the Mauritian criminal justice system.

25/07/2026

Behind the Tropical Façade: Serious Concerns About Detention, Drug Sentences and the Rule of Law in Mauritius

Mauritius is presented to the world as a tropical paradise! White sandy beaches, luxury resorts and a welcoming population. Behind this carefully cultivated tourism image, however, lies a criminal justice system that has been the subject of serious and recurring human rights concerns.

Anyone arrested in Mauritius, particularly in connection with a drug-related offence, may find themselves in a reality that bears little resemblance to the image of a modern and transparent democracy governed by the rule of law. Reports of police violence, ill-treatment, psychological pressure, prolonged pretrial detention and inadequate detention conditions can no longer simply be dismissed as isolated complaints.

Read more on our website

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