Marcel Vervloesem: little chance of survival

Bruxelles, 24 septembre 2008

Imprisoned in Belgium for the 4th time in violation of his constitutional rights, since he exposes paedocriminal networks, Marcel Vervloesem begins his 20th day of hunger strike, whose first six days were matched with a thirst strike.

The prison only gives him boiling water which causes him abominable pain. He used to drink four cups per day, but the pain is such that can no drink more than two cups. He has hardly any blood left in his veins, because he cannot drink more. His forearms are blue, because of the number of injections needed to manage drawing the few drops necessary for analysis.

Three litres of water are necessary, as long as he does not eat. But too many people who wanted to defend the rights of children victims of the paedocriminal network Zandvoort ended-up in prison by simulation of miscarriages of justice.

- We can not stop the action, he said. We have a duty towards these tens of thousands of children. We are starting our 11th year since we have handed over the Zandvoort compact discs. Tens of thousands of crimes have been denied. We do not have the right to accept that. The majority of those who go on hunger or thirst strike stop after ten days and nothing changes. Justice will laugh if we stop the action and nothing will change. We must carry on up to the end.

Marcel Vervloesem presented himself voluntarily to the prison this September 5, with the intention to prove the need for laws that prevent the violation of fundamental right by simulations of miscarriages of justice. He was sentenced to spend four years in prison without infirmary, for crimes that medicine recognizes the physically unable to commit. He has a triple cancer, heavy diabetes, severe deficiencies of the heart, of the kidneys and of the pancreas. In response to his request for home detention for health reasons pending the decision of European Court of Human Rights, Belgium has told him to make his last will. He saw death face to face on the fifth day, he says.

The prison regulations have been modified repeatedly in a way to prevent that he can see his best friends and collaborators of the fight against child-trade before the 18th day. He was placed under a regime imposed to terrorists.

Victims whose parents were banned from seeing him were so revolted, they emerged from the shadows to show themselves, face uncovered. They made an action with other victims, to ask all those who have experienced horror, to stand-up for their rights. They address a banner to Belgium: "GET YOUR CLAWS OFF MARCEL VERLOESEM. HE IS OUR HERO" and they sign "THE VICTIMS"

It appears that the Minister of Justice would have intervened to oppose the decision of a doctor to send Marcel Vervloesem to hospital in St. Elizabeth of Turnhout, to send him to the infirmary of the Bruges prison. The ambulance that was to bring him to the hospital, located 500 meters away, had come and left empty. An other ambulance had come two hours later with a police escort from Bruges, to take him to the infirmary.

He is locked in a soundproof isolation cell, supposed to be reserved for patients with contagious diseases. It does not have a bell to call in case the patient feels unwell and he cannot be heard if he calls for help. Cancer, diabetes and hunger strike are not contagious diseases. These cells are thus used for punishment, imposed under the cover of a doctor from the hospital Saint John of Bruges

This doctor sees his patients ounce a week. He told Marcel Vervloesem that his last will, which prohibits any reanimation in case of coma, was not valid. He assured that he would not be terminally ill ... as if he would cure his cancer by coming to see him every Wednesday! Marcel Vervloesem' lawyers have been dismissed by prison staff after a few minutes for "medical reasons".

The patients cannot receive neither photographs, nor documents at the infirmary from the visitors, if not by mail and only after checking the contents. Marcel Vervloesem is therefore currently sentenced to die in an isolation cell with bare walls, deprived of photographs of his children, his grandchildren or of the photographs of the actions that are undertaken at multiple locations to support him.

The prisoner patient can not sign any paper during the visits. Marcel Vervloesem could therefore not sign the complaint to the Commission against Torture to ask Belgium to take measures to avoid that he suffers irreparable harm, meaning death in abominable conditions, pending the decision of the European Court of Human Rights.

The term "torture", according to this convention, means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.

The decision of the hunger strike belongs to Marcel Vervloesem, what he does for European laws liable to stop the simulations miscarriages of justice to children victims, who have not the strength to defend themselves. Fasting is not prohibited by prison rules, thus he does not commit a punitiable fault, but:

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment considers that an order from a superior officer or a public authority can not be invoked to justify torture.

Marcel Vervloesem has aged 10 years in 18 days. It is a torture for his collaborators see his life shortened in such pain and suffering (boiling water - intimidation) that are inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of Belgian public officials or other person acting in an official capacity. But the fight will go on, at whatever costs.