E/CN.4/1995/34 page 31 147. The Government informed the Special Rapporteur that Manuel Benítez Hernández, serving a sentence in Boniato prison, had assaulted Sergeant Osvaldo Kindelán, but that the latter was deemed to have been responsible for not exhausting all means of persuasion, as a result of which disciplinary measures were imposed both on the prisoner and on Sergeant Kindelán. According to the Government, Manuel Benítez Hernández publicly acknowledged his error in acting as he did and took responsibility for the consequences. His state of health was satisfactory. 148. Charges of ill-treatment of the prisoner Luis Alberto Santos, detained in Boniato prison, were unfounded in every respect; his physical and general health were satisfactory. 149. The Government informed the Special Rapporteur that the names of Gerardo Montes de Oca and René Contreras Blanch, communicated by the Special Rapporteur, did not appear in prison records or in records of incidents involving the authorities or representatives of the law enforcement agencies. Cyprus Information transmitted to the Government and replies received 150. By letter dated 14 September 1994, the Special Rapporteur informed the Government that he had received information concerning Mehmet Cambulut, a Turkish Cypriot, who was allegedly slapped, punched, beaten on the soles of his feet and burned with a cigarette by members of the Special Branch of the police in April 1992 after he had gone to report his arrival in the Republic from the northern part of the island. 151. On 16 November 1994 the Government replied that Mehmet Cambulut had filed a complaint alleging ill-treatment by the Limassol police with the Committee for the Protection of Rights of Turkish Cypriots, which then notified the Chief of Police and the Attorney General. The police submitted the result of an investigation to the Attorney General who determined that the allegations could not be substantiated. A companion who had been with him at the police premises had stated in writing that they had not been ill-treated and that Mehmet Cambulut’s complaint had been lodged to receive compensation. 152. The Special Rapporteur also informed the Government that he had received information concerning Lycourgos Vassiliou, of Larnaka, who was allegedly severely beaten and kicked by four policemen on 2 September 1993, resulting in his hospitalization for treatment, including broken ribs. Despite the existence of videotape evidence corroborating the beating, the police were reportedly acquitted by the assize court because the tape had not been submitted into evidence. The policemen had previously been acquitted on two other charges of causing grievous bodily harm to Lycourgos Vassiliou. 153. The Government replied that the assize court had acquitted the accused police members on the grounds, inter alia, that the evidence of the complainant did not reflect the truth. The videotape was seen by the Court, but was not taken into consideration because the person who took the film was

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