E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.2 page 36 started to yell at them that he needed the facts, and that this was not a confession but just a bunch of chatter. He allegedly stated that he could “investigate” the case like that himself, with his fists, if he wanted to, and that he did not believe for a minute that Dmitry Chikunov was guilty. After that, he reportedly left. They allegedly brought Dmitry Chikunov back into the office, beat him again, and yelled that he had “screwed everything up”, and that they would kill him. After conferring amongst themselves, they reportedly told him that they had no other choice than to kill him in a supposed escape attempt. They reportedly led him out into the street to a car. Four investigators took him to the scene of the crime, threatened and abusing him in the car and telling him that they would only need to make one phone call in order to realize all their threats against Dmitry Chikunov’s mother. When they arrived at the place, they reportedly led Dmitry Chikunov in front of the headlights and turned his back to them. One of them is said to have walked up to him, cocking the trigger on a pistol, and then putting the barrel of the gun to the back of his head. One of the investigators reportedly made a telephone call and commanded that Tamara Chikunova be found. Dmitry Chikunov is said to have begged them not to touch his mother. They then reportedly told him that he had to act completely in accordance with their commands, and say only what he was told to say, to which he agreed. Then investigators reportedly congratulated each other, and kissed each other after the Uzbek custom. They reportedly drove back to the GUVD. Three days after his arrest, his mother was reportedly called to bring new clothes to her son. She stated that she would only do so in exchange for his other clothes. The investigators are said to have given her her son’s clothes, after an effort had been made to clean them. Traces of blood were clearly discernible on the clothes, on his underpants, in the waist area of his trousers and on the shirt. The investigators allegedly asked her to return her son’s clothes which she refused. Dmitry Chikunov was reportedly held at the GUVD for about 20 days, and interrogated every day. They reportedly deprived him of sleep, constantly beat him with truncheons, kicked him, spit on him and told him that he was their slave. They reportedly told him that they would make him pay for not having shot him. During the night, they reportedly took him out of the cell several times to beat him. The two main investigators, including the arresting investigator, are believed to have been in charge of the others. They reportedly did not return him to the prison until 4 May, and again returned him to the GUVD on 6 May, where he was reportedly beaten again, and humiliated. He was reportedly told that the investigators had “helped” his mother to hang herself. When Dmitry Chikunov threw himself at them, they are said to have tortured him again for two days, using the gas mask and the “swallow” method. They reportedly held him there for more than 10 days, and sent him back to prison at the end of the twelfth day. In May 1999, an arrest warrant was issued for Tamara Chikunova. She was reportedly allowed to see her son only if she provided the investigators with information. She reportedly hired a lawyer who was not allowed to see Dmitry Chikunov for five months whilst the investigation was ongoing. During the investigation, he was reportedly held in the basement of the district IVS/SIZO in Tashkent. She was reportedly told that her son would be killed in the basement if he did not confess. After the investigation, her son is said to have written a statement stating that he was guilty on the condition that he would be transferred to prison and that his mother’s life would be spared. Tamara Chikunova was said to have only been allowed to see her son after five months who had reportedly lost half his weight. The witnesses at the trial were the police officers who had reportedly beaten him. When Dmitry Chikunov told the court that he was not guilty and that he had confessed under torture, the judge is said to have stated, “No, you are the killer and now you see the independence of the judiciary.” Dmitry Chikunov’s lawyer was not allowed to participate in the trial. Instead, his State-appointed lawyer gave testimony in court against him,