E/CN.4/1993/26 page 116 United Kingdom Information transmitted to the Government 540. By letter dated 12 November 1992 the Special Rapporteur communicated to the Government that he had received information concerning allegations of ill-treatment by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) at interrogation centres and in particular at Castlereagh (Belfast). The allegations include slapping on the head, punching on the head and body, pulling hair, being forced to stand for long periods of time and pressure being applied to shoulders and neck. It was also reported that, under the emergency legislation, detainees can be held for up to seven days without being charged and without being brought before a judge and that in Northern Ireland lawyers are not allowed to be present during police interrogations. These rules are said to contribute significantly to an atmosphere favourable to ill-treatment. The following individual cases were communicated to the Government: (a) Martin Sweeney was arrested during the week of 21 July 1991 and taken to the police interrogation centre in Castlereagh. It was alleged that he was subjected to verbal abuse, that detectives slapped him on the face and the head, banged his head against the wall and spat into his ear. It was also alleged that a detective struck him in the stomach and dug his fingers into his ribs repeatedly and that, while being forced to keep his head down between his legs, he was beaten on the back of the head and the face. A medical doctor reportedly acknowledged that the detainee had a lump on the back of his head; (b) Rose Ann Maguire was arrested on 24 July 1991 police interrogation centre at Castlereagh for five days allegedly subjected to ill-treatment consisting of slaps pulling of the hair and the head, punches in the stomach harassment. and held at the during which she was to the face and head; and sexual 541. The Special Rapporteur was also informed of an incident which allegedly took place on 2 March 1992 in the Maghaberry prison (Belfast), during which 21 women prisoners were brutally strip-searched and assaulted by prison warders. All of them were reportedly punched, kicked, nipped and had their limbs twisted. The prison doctor recorded the women's injuries later the same night and sent one of them to an outside hospital because of the extent of swelling and bruising on her face. United Republic of Tanzania Information transmitted to the Government 542. On 18 September 1992 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania concerning Rev. Christopher Mtikila, who was arrested on 18 July 1992 in Dodoma by officials of the Field Force Unity and subsequently sentenced to nine months' imprisonment. It was reported that Rev. Mtikila had been tortured and fears were expressed that he might still subjected to this kind of treatment while in prison.