E/CN.4/1997/7 page 47 Venezuela 207. The Special Rapporteur transmitted 37 newly reported cases of incidents of torture. The Government provided replies on 20 cases transmitted in previous years, some of them involving several persons. Observations 208. The Special Rapporteur visited Venezuela from 7 to 16 June 1996, at the invitation of the Government. The report of the visit is contained in addendum 3 to the present report. Viet Nam 209. The Special Rapporteur made an urgent appeal in conjunction with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on behalf of three persons, to which the Government replied. He also made an urgent appeal in conjunction with the Chairman of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of one person, to which the Government replied. Yugoslavia 210. By letter dated 6 August 1996 the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had continued to receive information indicating that ethnic Albanians had been subjected to ill-treatment and torture, including severe beatings and electric shocks, by police officers in Kosovo. The situation was said to be particularly grave in the district of timjle since October 1995, when a new commander assumed his position at the timjle police station. 211. The Special Rapporteur transmitted eight individual cases. He also made two urgent appeals in conjunction with the Chairman of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia. The Government replied to one of those appeals on behalf of six persons. He sent another urgent appeal in conjunction with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia on behalf of three persons. Observations 212. The Special Rapporteur appreciates the reply he received from the Government. He continues to be concerned at the persistence of allegations of torture or ill-treatment of persons in custody, especially in Kosovo. He supports the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the territory of the former Yugoslavia that “provisions permitting suspects to be held for 72 hours in police custody without judicial supervision should be brought into line with the narrower limits set in international standards, notably in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights” (E/CN.4/1997/9, para. 131). Zaire 213. The Special Rapporteur transmitted 15 newly reported cases and retransmitted the cases already sent in 1995. In addition, he sent 5 urgent