E/CN.4/1989/15 page 21 border. They were reportedly held for eight months in an interrogation centre in Damascus, where they were subjected t o t o r t u r e , including beatings and e l e c t r i c shocks, as a consequence of which Musa Khalife has suffered paralysis of the limbs. Musa Khalife and Faraj Dirzieh were released in May 1988. Turkey 97. On 19 October 1988, a l e t t e r was addressed t o the Government of Turkey transmitting information alleging that Mahmut Asian, M i Ucak, Veysi Sami Turkmen, Ad em Kutuk, Oguz Lule and Kamer Tayhani were detained on 19 September 1988 in Mersin (southern Turkey) after they had escaped from Kirsehir closed prison in c e n t r a l Anatolia. In connection with the same event, Ahmet Turan Guler was arrested on 19 September 1988 and sent to Ankara closed prison. Those seven persons have reportedly been subjected t o t o r t u r e or i l l - t r e a t m e n t while in detention. 9 8. On 30 November 19 88, another l e t t e r was addressed t o the Government of Turkey transmitting information alleging that Ali Poyraz and Sakine Polat were on hunger-strike in prison, where they had been tortured and sexually abused. Furthermore, i t was reported that Sabri Erdir Civmaz, Raif Gumus and Mukkader Gumus were a r r e s t e d on 9 October 1988 and subjected t o t o r t u r e during two weeks of incommunicado detention a t Istanbul police headquarters. Finally, i t was reported t h a t , during a planned transfer of p o l i t i c a l prisoners on 30 September 1988 t o Bursa Special Prison, seme 70 prisoners were beaten by the guards; 20 were seriously injured; Hasan Fikret IBnsoydan, who had been imprisoned since 17 November 1988, was also allegedly seriously injured. 99. In a l e t t e r dated 19 December 1988, the Government of Turkey informed the Special Rapporteur that i t rejected the allegations of t o r t u r e transmitted on 19 October 1988. Investigation of the case by the competent a u t h o r i t i e s indicated that none of the persons had been subjected t o any kind of t o r t u r e or i l l - t r e a t m e n t during interrogation or detention. Those findings concurred with medical reports on the s t a t e of health of the persons in question. 100. In a l e t t e r dated 2 January 19 89, the Government of Turkey stated t h a t Sakine Polat had been sentenced t o 42 years and 10 months' imprisonment for having violated the Penal Code and the Law on Firearms. I t was reported t h a t she had health problems and that she had always been given appropriate medical treatment without delay. Since her a r r e s t in 1979, Sakine Polat had not submitted any complaint for i l l - t r e a t m e n t to the competent a u t h o r i t i e s . Nevertheless, the a l l e g a t i o n s of i l l - t r e a t m e n t mentioned in the Special Rapporteur's l e t t e r with regard to Miss Polat, had been looked into by the said a u t h o r i t i e s who had concluded t h a t she had not been subjected t o t o r t u r e or sexual maltreatment during her interrogation and d e t e n t i o n . Furthermore, the name of Ali Poyraz could not be found in the l i s t of prisoners kept by the Ministries of J u s t i c e and the I n t e r i o r . The conclusions of the investigation i n t o the a l l e g a t i o n s of i l l - t r e a t m e n t concerning Sabri Erdir Civmaz, Raif Gumus and Mukkader Gumus stated that those persons were treated in conformity with the existing law and r e g u l a t i o n s . Moreover, medical reports confirmed that they had not been subjected to t o r t u r e and i l l - t r e a t m e n t during interrogation and detention. The inmates who had been digging a tunnel t o escape from prison had been removed from their roomsj they had f i l e d complaints with the competent a u t h o r i t i e s with respect to having been tortured by the guards. The case was being investigated by the Public Prosecutor, the l a s t inmate mentioned in the Special Rapporteur's l e t t e r was not among those who had filed the above-mentioned complaints.