Windhoek – Kevan Townsend, an American citizen serving a 29-year sentence for the murder of Namibian André Heckmair, has approached the High Court with a series of demands aimed at changing prison conditions for inmates.
Townsend, convicted alongside fellow American Marcus Thomas for the ‘assassin-like’ killing in January 2011, is asking the court to order prison authorities to stop confiscating semi-nude pictures from inmates’ cells. He is also requesting that the Namibian Correctional Service permit conjugal visits for offenders.
In addition to these requests, Townsend is suing the Minister of Home Affairs for N$850,000, citing multiple instances of alleged inhumane treatment by correctional officials.
In court documents, Townsend has called for an extension of the current lock-up time for inmates, proposing it be shifted from 15:00 to 18:00. He claims prisoners are presently confined for up to 20 hours per day, a practice he describes as “cruel, inhumane, degrading, and draconian.”
The convicted murderer has further requested the Court to allow inmates supervised contact and communication with the media, arguing that such access would help uphold transparency and accountability within the prison system.
Judge Christi Liebenberg, who sentenced Townsend and Thomas, has yet to issue a ruling on the matter. The Ministry of Home Affairs has not commented on the case.
