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JULIE CHU

A court has granted HK$210,000 in compensation to a Pakistani asylum seeker who sued over inhumane treatment during 107 days of unlawful detention more than eight years ago.
Abid Saeed, 34, complained officers had unlawfully handcuffed him while transferring him among police stations, and had strip-searched him even with other detainees present.
He sued the secretary for security, director of immigration and commissioner of police for compensation.
Judge Andrew Li Shu-yuk of the District Court on Friday ruled that the multiple body searches were particularly unjustified and unnecessary.
"The repeated strip-searches done on [Saeed] would amount to degrading and inhumane treatment," Li wrote in a judgment handed down yesterday.
"The repeated taking off of his clothes in front of others was not only undignified, it amounts to mental torture to [Saeed]."
However, the judge concluded the general conditions of Saeed's detention were reasonable, although part of the living conditions in the cells was poor.
"One has to bear in mind that these are detention facilities and not five-star hotels. While the detainees should never be subjected to any inhumane and degrading treatments, they should not expect such facilities would be anything other than basic and functional," Li wrote.
He awarded Saeed damages of HK$100,000 over the unlawful detention, HK$30,000 for unlawful handcuffing and HK$80,000 for unlawful strip-searches.
Saeed entered Hong Kong illegally on October 4, 2006, claiming he faced political threats at home. He was arrested soon after and held until January 18, 2007.
During that time, he claimed, he was sometimes kept in a 200 sq ft room with up to 40 detainees. They were told to sit and not allowed to stand, walk, talk or sleep most of the time. Some of the cells were near smelly toilets. Not being given a change of clothes, he had to wear the same pair of underpants. And he did not get to shower for three weeks - and even then he had only three minutes to wash.
He was moved between police stations about 16 times. Officers strip-searched him almost every time. Once, in Yuen Long, an officer touched him from his armpits to his upper thighs.


Pakistani asylum seeker to be compensated for 'inhumane treatment' in Hong Kong

Abid Saeed, 34, complained officers had unlawfully handcuffed him

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Hong Kong

Police must compensate Pakistani man over body searches during unlawful detention


Pakistani asylum seeker to be compensated for 'inhumane treatment' in Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Police must compensate Pakistani man over body searches during unlawful detention

Police must compensate Pakistani man over body searches during unlawful detention