E/CN.4/1993/26 page 120 police at a street demonstration in Caballero Mejías. Before their release, they were subjected to ill-treatment in the police station (punches, kicks, burns with cigarettes, etc) and kept blindfolded. No charges were made; (m) Rommer Figueroa Lizardi, clerk, died on 29 May after being brutally beaten by national guard personnel during a demonstration at Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar state. The medico-legal report states that death was caused by physical ill-treatment during detention; (n) Oswaldo Rodríguez, journalist on the newspaper El Araqueño was brutally beaten by national guard personnel and police on 4 June 1992 during a demonstration in Maracay. 547. On 10 December the Special Rapporteur addressed an urgent appeal to the Government on behalf of Luis Alberto Arias Bellorin, student, Henry Hinojosa, community leader and member of the Human Rights Committee, Benito Valera, a COPEI deputy in the Legislative Assembly, Victor Martinez Nino, member of a human rights organization, Arnaldo Guedez, teacher, Yolimar Sierra, teacher, Domingo Rivera, Francisco Escalona, politician, Julio Escalona, engineer, Rolando Lugo, teacher, Orlando Chirinos, university professor, Alexis Campos Lovera, trade unionist in health sector, José del Carmen Rodríguez, student, Julio Rodríguez, Orangel López Rodríguez, member of the socialist league, Nelson Viana trade unionist, Rafael Castillo, trade unionist, Tony González, student, Joel Gutiérrez, trade unionist, candidate in the municipal elections. According to information received, the people listed were among the many civilians and military personnel arrested in connection with the attempted coup of 27 November 1992 in Caracas, Barquisimeto, Valencia, Maturín, Los Teques, El Tocuyo, Puerto Ordaz and Ciudad Bolívar. It is reported that 17 students were arrested on 8 November at the Central University. The detained civilians are being held in premises of the intelligence services directorate, the metropolitan police, the national guard and the military intelligence directorate. Yugoslavia Information transmitted to the Government and replies received thereon 548. By letter dated 21 August 1992 the Special Rapporteur communicated to the Government that he had received information concerning the practice of torture against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo province. According to this information, torture takes place most of the time, in police stations; however, there have been frequent incidents in which police have stopped people in the street or in buses or trains and hit them in full public view. Young people have also been victims of police ill-treatment, in particular university students and high school pupils. The purpose of ill-treatment seems to be either to extract information and confessions or to intimidate and humiliate. The most frequently alleged forms of ill-treatment consist of beating with rubber truncheons and rifle butts, kicking and punching. Although there are established procedures for filing complaints against the perpetrators of abuses, prosecuting bodies are generally unwilling to institute proceedings against police officers. The following cases, in particular, were reported: