NZer died of suffocation in Ivory Coast

A New Zealander found dead in a West African prison last year died of suffocation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed yesterday.

Hamish Sands, 36, died in an Ivory Coast prison cell on April 4, several week after he was arrested by rebels who said he planned to assassinate two of their leaders.

The rebels at first said he died of natural causes, but an autopsy into his death completed in May revealed this was not the case.

Mr Sands' family had asked that the report into his death remain confidential. They said the autopsy had confirmed his death was not due to natural causes but they could not say how he died or whether he took his own life or was killed by others.

However, a Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said the family still wished the report not to be released to media, but confirmed a report that Mr Sands had died of suffocation.

The statement is in line with a newspaper report in May last year saying that a former partner of Sands said he died of asphyxiation.

- NZPA