France 24 reported that a Niger detention cell holding 72 people became the site of 33 deaths last month, with guards accused of cruel and inhuman treatment.
The broadcaster described the room as a 20-square-meter cell with inadequate airflow. It said guards did not answer detainees’ calls for help.
France 24 said many occupants died from suffocation during an 11-hour period. France 24 reported that the cell may have been sanitized before an investigation could take place.
The report, issued Oct. 29, placed the deaths in the previous month. France 24 described the case as involving accusations of cruel and inhuman treatment by guards.
