Swaziland: Police disrupt activist’s funeral

18 May 2010

The funeral of an anti-government activist who died in police custody has been postponed following the intervention of Swaziland’s security forces. Sipho Jele, who was found hanged in his jail cell on May 4, was a member of the proscribed People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), he was originally arrested for wearing a t-shirt with the group’s logo.  Jele’s funeral vigil was broken up by police officers, who removed a PUDEMO flag from Jele’s coffin, ordered the removal of banners supporting the organisation, and destroyed photographs of the deceased, before surrounding the coffin and refusing to leave. Jele’s family was forced to postpone the burial.

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  1. Swaziland: Opposition leader charged with terrorism | Index on Censorship

    December 1, 2011 at 15:08

    [...] by name, an offence under Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act. Jele’s funeral had previously been postponed following a police raid. His suspicious death in police custody after being arrested for wearing a [...]

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