The family of remand prisoner Azri Mohamed, who passed away while in police custody early this month, wants the Prisons Department to be probed for causing his death.

This was after a second autopsy requested by family members found that he died from shigella infection, a preventable and treatable disease while being held in remand in Pengkalan Chepa Prison, Kelantan.

"We call upon police chief Khalid Abu Bakar to open a criminal investigation under Section 304A of the Penal Code on the Prison authorities for causing Azri's death by gross negligence," said the family's lawyers N Surendran and T Naraendran, in a statement.

The duo said the family holds the home minister and prison authorities responsible for Azri's death, both for the unhygienic conditions that caused him to contract the disease and for delaying sending him for treatment after he showed signs of illness.

The second autopsy on Azri began at 11am yesterday and concluded at 4.30pm.

The team of pathologists then informed the family and lawyers that the preliminary finding is that death was caused by shigella infection, subject to further tests that are being done on samples taken from the body.

Shigella not fatal

The lawyers explained that shigella is a food and water-borne disease which is closely related to salmonella. It is both preventable and treatable, and is caused and spread by poor hygienic conditions.

"No one dies from a shigella infection if properly treated," said the lawyers.

The duo argued Azri's death due to shigellosis raises a critical issue on the health and wellbeing of prisoners in Pengkalan Chepa prison and throughout the country.

In any case, the family lawyers said when Azri's sister visited him on Aug 10, he was already showing signs of severe illness and had to be supported by two other persons, raising questions as to why was he had not been sent for treatment earlier.

Azri was admitted to Kota Bharu Hospital on Aug 15 and died on Sep 14; his large intestine had to be removed by doctors treating him.

The family wants the home minister and prison authorities to accept full responsibility and liability for Azri's death in light of the above facts and medical findings.

The lawyers said the family is also grateful to the public for their expressions of support and sympathy over the past several difficult days.