E/CN.4/2001/66/Add.2 page 119 224. Fabio de Almeida Ramos was reportedly arrested on 5 October 1999 by military police officers. He was allegedly taken to the 64th district police station of Rio de Janeiro where he was beaten by civil officers with iron bars. He was reportedly subjected to the “parrot’s perch” on an iron bar with a towel tied around his neck and beaten with wire on various parts of the body. He was reportedly forced to sign a confession. He is said to have been taken to court where he complained to the judge about his treatment. The judge is reported to have ordered he be taken for a forensic medical examination. On 11 September 1999, he was believed to have been taken to the Central Hospital where he received medical treatment. He is said to have a private lawyer assisting him. 225. Valério Vinicius Lopes dos Santos was reportedly arrested by military police officers from the 21st Battalion on 30 April 1997 on suspicion of armed robbery. He was first detained in a police lock-up in Nove Igauçu. On 23 March 2000, he was reportedly taken to the 64th district police station of Rio de Janeiro where he was allegedly beaten in front of the delegada in order to make him sign a confession. Then he was allegedly taken to the seguros cell where he is believed to have spent six days. During this period, it is reported that he was presented to the media as a criminal involved in armed robberies. At the time of the interview (31 August), he still had three open wounds on his right foot, for which he was not receiving any medical treatment. 226. Mauro Teixeira da Silva was reportedly arrested on 21 January 2000 by military police officers from the 20th Battalion on suspicion of drug trafficking and the murder of a police officer. Handcuffed, he was said to have been taken to a remote area where a plastic bag was put over his head and a shot fired next to his head. On the same day, he was reportedly taken to the 54th district police station of Rio de Janeiro where he was allegedly electro-shocked on the genitals and beaten on the head and legs with iron bars. It is believed that he was subjected to the “parrot’s perch” for one and a half hours. It is reported that he was tortured for two days before he signed a confession. 227. Marcos Claudio de Azevedo was reportedly arrested on 7 August 2000 by military police officers acting as private security guards, on suspicion of armed robbery. It is believed that he was tortured for five hours following his arrest. According to the information received, he was severely beaten with iron bars in a public place. The guards were reported to have shouted that he was a criminal and therefore deserved such treatment. He was then reportedly taken to the 54th district police station of Rio de Janeiro where he was slapped by an assistant delegado. He is believed to have signed a confession after having been beaten again on the ribs and face. Handcuffed, he is reported to have been suspended from a hook on the ceiling of the office of the head of the lock-up. The police officers are said to have then realized that they had mistaken him for someone else. He was reportedly taken to an emergency room where he received medical treatment. He was then taken to the 64th district police station. He was believed not to have been presented before a magistrate. 228. Ezequiel Cándido Francisco was reportedly arrested in flagrante delicto at the beginning of August 2000 and taken to the 64th district police station of Rio de Janeiro where he was allegedly beaten by other inmates, the so-called trustees, under the supervision of the police officers, in order to extract a confession to intentional killing. He is said to have fainted