A/HRC/13/39/Add.4 authorities from the very beginning. He said that the South African prisoners, who had also been convicted in relation to the attempted coup, were held in much worse conditions, because they had refused to cooperate. He said that he enjoyed a special status at Black Beach Prison and that he had developed a friendly relationship with General Mba, with whom he had lunch during the days of his interrogations. For example, the General had provided him with a stepper to exercise in his cell and allowed him to use his cell phone to speak to his wife and sister in the UK. He received special food, which was directly brought form the Hotel Paraiso in Malabo every day, which he believed was to protect him from being poisoned as he had heard of several death threats against him. Until about four days prior to the Special Rapporteur’s visit, he had been allowed to leave his cell to have lunch in the court room. The short walk from his cell to the building in which the court room was located, had been his only possibility to spend time outside in the open air. He did not know why the guards had stopped to take him to the court room for lunch. For the rest of the day, he was confined to his cell in solitary confinement. Apart from the lack of exercise and fresh air, he said he had no complaints. He said that he had everything he needed and that the prison guards carried out minor shopping for him if he gave them the money to do so. During the first months of his detention, he had been shackled and handcuffed, except for taking a shower once a day. He said the handcuffs and chains had not been too tight. His handcuffs were removed in June 2008, and his leg irons in August 2008, which he said was due to a direct order by President Obiang. On 11 August 2008 he was taken to a private hospital in Malabo, where he had a surgery. The operation was paid for by the government. After three days in hospital he was taken back to prison, where he was in pain for about a week, without receiving any treatment. He continues to suffer from weak health. Since his detention in Black Beach Prison he has received four visits from the United Kingdom Consulate, representatives of which were also present during his trial. He was also visited by the United States Ambassador on his second day of detention. His sister and brother also visited him in the presence of General Mba and an interpreter. He was also visited by several press and TV agencies, including Channel 4, Mail on Sunday, the Telegraph, etc. Male detainee, South African citizen was arrested in March 2004 in Malabo together with a group of other South Africans and Armenians in connection with the attempted coup in March 2004 at his home by the Minister of National Security and a group of soldiers. The Minister in civilian clothes together with heavily armed members of the security forces entered his house and arrested him. He was accused of being one of the leading organizers of the coup and brought directly to Black Beach Prison. On the morning following their arrest, the group was taken to Malabo Central Police Station to have their statements taken. According to him, Angolan and Zimbabwean intelligence officials were present at the police station. He was directly threatened by the Minister of National Security that he would be tortured on that day. When he was unable to write down his statement, he was beaten. After the rest of the group had been taken back to Black Beach Prison, he remained behind. Security forces that he identified as bodyguards of the Minister of National Security took him to the “torture chamber” in the basement of the Central Police Station in Malabo, where he was forced to lie flat on the floor, face down. His legs were chained together and then tied to his handcuffed arms behind his back. In this position he was suspended from the ceiling on thick nylon ropes and beaten for 4550 minutes by several police officers, while being interrogated. He was also electrocuted on his feet with open cables. During the first week of his imprisonment at Black Beach Prison, the prisoners linked to the attempted coup were separated from the other prisoners several times and heavily beaten by a group of soldiers or prison guards who seemed to be on a “special shift” to undertake the beatings. They did not receive medical treatment for their injuries. After the first week in 27