E/CN.4/1994/31 page 55 Urgent appeals 259. On 6 December 1993 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the de facto Government on behalf of Sergot Metazer, Djobit Cius and Bertrand Dorismon, inhabitants of the Raboteau shanty town, Gonaïves, Artibonite department, who were arrested on 20 November 1993 in Port-au-Prince by soldiers. They were allegedly beaten on arrest and taken to the prison in Gonaïves. Also on that date, Chatte Metayer and Anvi Charitable were arrested in Raboteau and allegedly tortured by the djak method. Observations 260. The Special Rapporteur shares the concern reflected in the interim report to the General Assembly of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Haiti that torture and ill-treatment by the military police and civilians working with them continue to be widespread and systematic in Haiti (A/48/561, paras. 68-77). India Information transmitted to the Government and replies received 261. By letter dated 9 August 1993 the Special Rapporteur informed the Government of reports he had received indicating that criminal suspects, as well as persons detained for political reasons, are routinely tortured in police stations in order to extract confessions or information and that many detainees have died as a result. Methods of torture include: pulling the victims legs far apart so as to cause great pain and internal pelvic injury; rotating a heavy wooden or metal roller over the victim’s thighs; electric shock, applied to victims genitals, head, ears and legs; prolonged beatings with canes and leather straps; tying the victim’s hands behind the back and suspending him or her from the ceiling by the legs; rape, threats of rape or molestation; deprivation of food and drink; keeping the person naked in the cold and in the burning hot sun in the summer. 262. Information was also received according to which rape by the police is common throughout the country. The victims are generally poor women and those from vulnerable low-caste and minority groups who are taken into custody as suspects, or as hostages for relatives wanted in criminal or political cases or in order to extort payment to secure their release. Rape was also reported to take place during counter-insurgency operations in areas of conflict. 263. The cases described in the following paragraphs were transmitted to the Government. 264. Ganeshan, publisher and printer of the Tamil weekly newspaper Nakkeeran, was arrested by Tamil Nadu police on 10 April 1992 after that newspaper published an editorial critical of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s treatment of the press. After his release on bail on 20 April, he reportedly collapsed in the Nakkeeran office while telling his colleagues how he had been tortured by police. He was rushed to a private hospital where he died.