E/CN.4/1997/7/Add.3 page 8 19. Twenty-four-year-old Julio Rafael Tovar, 18-year-old Andrés Blanco, 20-year-old Carlos Ramón Iruiz Apoto and 15-year-old Angel Jaidar Iruiz were arrested on 14 January 1995 at Caicara del Orinoco, State of Bolívar, by National Guard Detachment No. 87. In front of their relatives and members of the community they were allegedly subjected to various forms of torture, such as having their heads submerged in animal drinking troughs and being beaten with blunt objects; they were also allegedly hung in the air by their feet, after which their heads were submerged in barrels of water and they were given electric shocks. A representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office allegedly witnessed these events. 20. Clodomiro Emilio Rivas López was arrested on 16 May 1996 at the Turmero shanty town, State of Aragua, by the PTJ in the course of an investigation into an armed bank robbery. The officers allegedly took him to PTJ headquarters in Caracas, where he was beaten on the head with a bulletproof vest until he lost consciousness; he was also allegedly rolled in a mat whereupon several police officers jumped on him and beat him with a broomstick. He was then moved to the PTJ station in Cumaná, where he was again beaten and hung up for several hours. His lawyer lodged a complaint with Public Prosecutor No. 57. Francisco García Boada was arrested on 19 May 1996 at Cumaná, in connection with the same event. He was brought to Sucre State Police headquarters and allegedly severely beaten. He was then moved to the PTJ, where he was again beaten and hung up for 14 hours. In neither case was a medical examination carried out, despite the fact that the prosecutor ordered one. 21. Andrés Eloy Blanco was arrested on 5 October 1995 at his workplace, in Colinas de Bello Monte, Caracas, by the PTJ in the course of a robbery investigation. He was taken to Robbery Division Brigade C, where he was allegedly subjected to several forms of torture, including beatings and near suffocation by placing a plastic bag over his head. Some of the blows were dealt while he was hung up by his wrists. He was also forced to sign a statement with a gun at his head. He was released without charge 12 days later. His work colleagues, arrested under the same circumstances, were allegedly subjected to similar torture: Antonio David Sanjuanero, held incommunicado for five days, Eddy Marcel González, who sustained a broken collarbone as a result of being hung up and José Gregorio Guerrero. A complaint was lodged with Public Prosecutor No. 54. 22. José Gregorio Azuaje was arrested in Caracas on 23 November 1995, a few days after reporting that he had been the victim of an armed robbery while transporting the payroll of the company for which he worked, by the DISIP on charges of collusion with the robbers. He was taken to DISIP headquarters in Los Chaguaramos and was allegedly beaten, had earth placed in his eyes and plastic bags over his head and was given electric shocks on his legs and ears. He was also allegedly hung from the roof by his hands, and, while in this position, beaten and given electric shocks. He was subsequently released, after being warned not to tell of his treatment. 23. Cases of torture and ill-treatment are also alleged to occur during control operations by the security bodies during protests or social unrest, which were particularly intense at the time of the two attempted coups d’état in February and November 1992. Arrests followed by torture during