E/CN.4/2001/66 page 100 Gambia 498. By letter dated 8 November 2000, the Special Rapporteur reminded the Government of a number of cases transmitted in 1998 regarding which no reply had been received. Georgia 499. By letter dated 5 October 2000, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information according to which the system in place to ensure investigation of torture complaints is inefficient and partial. Although a number of police officers have been arrested or disciplined for physical abuse, this is said to occur only in extreme cases, such as those resulting in death. Prosecutors have reportedly been reluctant to open a criminal case at all, or have closed the case for alleged lack of evidence after what appears to be a perfunctory investigation. Many alleged victims simply do not believe that their complaints will result in a rigorous, comprehensive and impartial investigation. Others are said to be deterred from lodging complaints by a fear of reprisals, believing that any attempt on their part to bring those responsible to account, or simply to stop the ill-treatment, will only result in greater abuses against them or their relatives. 500. Most allegations have related to periods of short-term detention by the police, when beatings are sometimes reported to have been accompanied by extortion, with relatives facing financial or other demands in exchange for the detainee’s release, or during the period of pre-trial detention, when detainees have alleged the use of physical and psychological duress in order to force confessions or obtain other information. Lawyers and family members have reportedly been denied access to detainees by the police and investigators. 501. In particular, the Special Rapporteur transmitted information on the following individual cases. 502. On 29 May 1999, police from the Gldani district of Tbilisi reportedly forcibly broke up an open-air meeting of an evangelical Christian group. Church members, including the pastor of the Madli (Grace) church, Zaal Tkeshelashvili, and his wife Nino, were severely beaten by the police, including the Assistant Police Chief of the district. A group of 20 members of the congregation are said to have gathered near the Achmeteli metro station after the meeting was dispersed by the pastor. The group was reportedly blocked by three police cars containing some 12 officers. The police attempted to detain the pastor and his wife but were prevented from doing so by the other church members present. Members of the group were then allegedly beaten and kicked for about 10 minutes. Gocha Lalebashvili was allegedly thrown to the ground and kicked in the head and face. On 17 August 1999, a judge is reported to have found in favour of the police, ruling that their actions to break up the meeting were appropriate. Pastor Zaal Tkeshelashvili lodged an appeal with the Tbilisi regional court, but it was reportedly rejected on 10 October 1999. No criminal charges are believed to have been laid in connection with the alleged assaults.