E/CN.4/1997/7 page 27 Rapporteur also made 9 urgent appeals on behalf of 27 individuals and four situations involving an undetermined number of individuals. One of the urgent appeals was joined by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions. Another appeal was joined by the Chairman of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Observations 111. The Special Rapporteur appreciates the Government’s responses in respect of the cases he transmits to it. Despite these responses, he believes that the persistence and consistency of the allegations he receives, justify continuing concern with the issue. In particular, he does not consider simple denials by law enforcement or security agencies of detention or ill-treatment during detention as conclusive. With regard to his meetings with alleged victims of torture or ill-treatment in East Timor, he found several of their stories (which he subjected to close examination) credible, partly because of the limited nature of the allegations: ill-treatment did not occur on every occasion of detention of the person in question, nor did the ill-treatment necessarily last for the duration of the detention. The Special Rapporteur continues to regret that an invitation to visit Indonesia and East Timor has not been forthcoming. Iran (Islamic Republic of) 112. The Special Rapporteur transmitted 20 individual cases to the Government and 4 urgent appeals on behalf of 24 persons. One of the urgent appeals was made in conjunction with the Special Representative on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, concerning the alleged resumption of amputation as a punishment for criminal offences. Observations 113. The Special Rapporteur considers that the allegations of torture should be thoroughly investigated and measures should be put in place to ensure effective monitoring of detention and interrogation practices of the relevant agencies. Prolonged incommunicado detention should not be possible. Amputation, flagellation and other forms of corporal punishment should be ended. Iraq Observations 114. In the light of information he has received over the years, the Special Rapporteur feels obliged to draw attention to paragraphs 9-15 of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iraq to the General Assembly (A/51/496, annex), which cites “cruel torture and gross mistreatment upon arrest” (para. 9). He shares that Special Rapporteur’s concern at continuing resort to measures of amputation and mutilation (paras. 12-15 and 108).