E/CN.4/2000/9 page 128 651. On 29 July 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of 'Ali Khalil Surur, Samih Surur, Hasan Musa Ridha, aged 15, Muhammad Musa Ridha and Muhammad Na'meh Ridha, aged 15, who had reportedly been among those arrested between about 20 and 22 July 1999 in the village of 'Ayta al-Sha'b by members of the South Lebanon Army and the Israeli army who were reportedly searching homes. The soldiers are said to have interviewed about 75 people, including children. The above-named persons were currently being held in Khiam Detention Centre. 652. On 14 September 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Husayn 'Ali Haris, Muhammad Mahmud Haris, Haytham Bahjat As'ad and Nader Muhammad Khader, who had reportedly been arrested by members of the Israeli Defence Force in the village of 'Ayt al-Sh'b and Belat, on 9 and 10 September 1999. They were allegedly held incommunicado in the Khiam Detention Centre. 653. On 29 October 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Maria Sobeiti (f), Ibrahim Fadlallah, 'Ali Khalili Khanafer, Bilal Mahmud Ja'afar, aged 17, Ghunwa Mahmud Ja'afar (f), Hussein Muhammad Samhat, Hussein Ahmad Samhat, Najwas Ahmad Samhat (f) and Ahmad Hussein Samhat, aged 15, who had reportedly been arrested on 7 October 1999 in their village of Aainata, in south Lebanon. They were said to be detained at the Khiam Detention Centre. 654. On 29 November 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Husasyn 'Ali Haris, Muhammad Mahmud Haris, Haytam Bahjat As'ad and Nader Muhammad Khader, who had reportedly been arrested in the village of 'Ayta al-Sha'b, in south Lebanon, by members of the SLA and the Israeli army on 9 or 10 September 1999. On 20 September 1999, other villagers, Ali Hassan Qassem, Fahd Saleh and Fadila Maohammad Tahini (f), were reportedly also arrested. Ali Hassan Qassem was arrested allegedly because his son is said to have refused to be conscripted into the SLA. Fahd Saleh is said to have been arrested for having criticized the Israeli occupation. All were reported to be detained at Khiam Detention Centre. 655. Regarding persons detained at Khiam Detention Centre, the Government referred in several letters to previous communications in which it denied responsibility for Khiam Detention Centre (see E/CN.4/1999/61, para. 393). 656. On 7 December 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal concerning the draft Criminal Procedure (Powers and Special Interrogation Methods for Security Offences) Law, which was reportedly introduced in the Knesset in October 1999. This bill would authorize GSS interrogators to use "special interrogation methods", including "physical pressure on the body", where there is a reasonable suspicion that a person has information which, if immediately revealed, could prevent danger to human life or State security. The Special Rapporteur reminded the Government that he had concluded, in his report to the previous session of the Commission on Human Rights (see E/CN.4/1999/61, para. 394) that the use of "moderate physical pressure" as an aid to interrogation violates the prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and, in certain combinations, or over a certain period of time, the prohibition of torture. He also reminded the Government that the findings of the Committee against Torture and the Human Rights Committee were consistent with his own observations. He also reminded the Government of the September 1999 ruling of the High Court that the systematic use of various interrogation techniques by