French Committee Member of the UN Human Rights Committee Hélène Tigroudja last week accused Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira of focusing more on blaming the previous government and discrediting allegations rather than answering questions posed to her.

During day two of the 140th Session of the Human Rights Committee, a back-and-forth discussion took place between the two regarding allegations of torture and other cruel treatment in Guyana. “We have several areas of concern. All of the following has been reported to us as occurring in the state party. There are allegations of false confessions extracted by the police, excessive use of force,… rapes committed against persons held in custody, [and] excessive use of force against children, and minors, when they’re arrested, they’re not separated from adults when they’re arrested. [Also] excessive use of violence, insults, and a brutal approach to LGBTQ+ persons…,” the French delegate said.