E/CN.4/2000/9 page 89 beaten. He was reportedly in critical condition and had been denied medical treatment. 437. Dhibane was reportedly arrested on 9 July 1996 after returning from the mosque. He was allegedly stopped by four EPRDF soldiers and was asked his religion. According to the information received, after he told them that he was Muslim, he was hand-cuffed, blindfolded and forced into a car. He was reportedly initially detained at the military barracks, but was then transferred to the Maikelawi police investigation centre. He was allegedly hung upside down and beaten until he lost consciousness. He was reportedly forced to drink his own urine and dirty salt water and deprived of sleep and food for more than five days. He was allegedly held in incommunicado detention for three months. During his detention, he was reportedly forbidden to practise his religion. Guns were reportedly pointed at his head and he was told that he would be killed if he did not confess to being a member of a terrorist group. 438. Svetlana Mamedova, an Ethiopian citizen born in Georgia, was reportedly arrested and detained on three separate occasions: from 30 November to 5 December 1991, from 10 March 1994 to 29 September 1995 and from 18 April 1996 to 13 June 1997. According to the information received, she was mostly held at the Lmakahawe detention centre in Addis Ababa, although she is said to have also been detained for short periods at the Tenth Police Station (in September 1996) and at Police Station N4 Region (from January to May 1997). It is believed that she was arrested on suspicion of being a Russian spy. During each period of detention, she was allegedly ill-treated and severely beaten and kicked. She was also threatened with death with a pistol. Her arms and legs were reportedly bound with plastic wire for several days at a time. She was reportedly kept either in an overcrowded cell, or in isolation in a small dark cell, during which time her access to sanitary facilities is said to have been extremely limited. She was eventually taken to hospital on several occasions, but was allegedly denied medical treatment. She was reportedly unable to register a formal complaint. 439. Ato Tamene Koyira, a civil servant from Soddo Zuria, Southern Region, was reportedly arrested on 27 June 1997. According to the information received, he had complained about disciplinary measures taken against him at work. During his detention until 5 September 1997, he was allegedly beaten for four consecutive days. He was then reportedly taken to a prison where he spent one year before being brought to a judge. He was eventually released on 22 June 1998 by order of the Public Prosecutor, who reportedly rejected the police charges against him. 440. Assefa W/Semait, a priest in Berehet Wereda, North Shewa, was reportedly arrested on 26 August 1998 by two policemen on suspicion of stealing tabot, a holy arch. He was reportedly taken to the police station where he was detained for 15 days. He was then released by court order. A month later, he was reportedly re-arrested and taken to the Wereda police station where he was allegedly severely beaten, in particular on the soles of his feet. His hands were also allegedly tied in his back. As a result, his hands are reportedly now paralysed. Urgent appeals and replies received 441. On 16 September 1999, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal on behalf of Mossisa Duressa, the local chairperson of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society in Nekemte, Oromia region, Tassev Begashaw, a medical doctor working for