According to International Prison Watch Report 1996, "political prisoners are detained either at the headquarters of the [Agence nationale de sécurité] ANS or the security-branch office of the national police. They are under strict surveillance and cannot receive visits" (1996, 45). However, the same report also states that "corruption is ubiquitous and it would appear to be possible to leave prison or even to be released by paying the guards a certain amount of money" (ibid., 45). No specific reference to the Presidential jail in D'djamena could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

A researcher who specialises in Chad at Amnesty International's Secretariat in Paris corroborated the information about corruption during a telephone interview with the Research Directorate and agreed that it sometimes happens that political prisoners escape from prisons after bribing the guards (30 June 1998). Information on the repercussions for jail guards on duty when political prisoners escape could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

International Prison Watch. International Prison Watch Report 1996. 1996. Paris: International Prison Watch.

Amnesty International Secretariat, Paris. 30 June 1998. Telephone interview with researcher on Chad.

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. January-May 1998. Vol. 35. Nos. 1-4.

_____. February - December 1997. Vol. 34. Nos. 1-12.

Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch World Reports. 1990-1998.

Resource Centre. Chad. Country File. 1997-1998.

_____. Chad. Amnesty International File. 1997-1998.

West Africa [London]. January 1997 - May 1998. Nos. 4130-4189.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, World News Connection (WNC).