Catholic Human Rights Commission Calls for Truth Investigation into COVID-19 Cluster Infection at Dongbu Detention Center... Human Rights Commission Petition

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] A petition demanding a fact-finding investigation into inmates who died from a COVID-19 outbreak in correctional facilities has been submitted to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

The Catholic Human Rights Committee announced on the 21st that it filed a petition with the Human Rights Commission against the Minister of Justice and the Director of Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, requesting a fact-finding investigation related to the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting deaths at Dongbu Detention Center, including emergency follow-up plans, measures taken on the day of death, and medical access rights at the detention center designated as a living treatment center.

According to quarantine authorities, since the first confirmed staff case at Dongbu Detention Center on November 28 last year, a total of 1,203 confirmed cases have been identified within the detention center. There have been two deaths. The cumulative infection rate is 4.9% among staff (27 out of 552) and 42.9% among inmates (1,176 out of 2,738).

The Catholic Human Rights Committee has requested the Human Rights Commission to investigate whether the Ministry of Justice and others fulfilled their responsibilities to guarantee the health and right to life of inmates in the death incidents and to make necessary recommendations.

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