E/CN.4/2001/66/Add.2 page 105 participating in a political rally the night before, 7 September 2000. Six or seven military police officers reportedly arrived at the house and broke down the front door at 7 a.m. on 8 September, reportedly waking them up by punching them and then beating them on the head, neck and face for several minutes. A police officer is said to have pointed a gun at them. Another police officer is said to have beaten them on the stomach and back with his belt, whilst questioning them about a gun belonging to the owner of the house. They were all handcuffed very tightly, as a result of which Fabio Tavares da Silva reportedly sustained swollen hands and scratches to his wrists; the handcuffs on the other two were reportedly loosened. A policeman is said to have placed a pistol to their kneecaps stating that they would have to tell him who the gun belonged to. They are said to have responded that it was not theirs. The police allegedly placed soda on them, stating that it was drugs. They were subsequently transferred to the Guama police station Fabio Tavares da Silva in his underwear - where they were reportedly taken into the yard, beaten for 10 minutes and reportedly had soap rubbed into their eyes. They were then reportedly asked for 3,000 reais to be released. The police are said to have threatened the three detainees with calling in “heavy artillery” if they did not talk. They are also said to have let the media enter to film them. At the time of the interview (8 September 2000), marks consistent with their allegations, such as a scar to the mouth, scars to the lower legs and swellings on the hands, were still visible, and Fabio Tavares da Silva was still in his underwear. 169. José Ricardo Vianna Gomez and Marcio Furtado Correia Paiva were reportedly arrested by three military police officers on 5 or 6 September 2000, at which time they were allegedly beaten. They were said to have been brought to a military police box in Tierra Firma, where they and another person, Valdi Aleixo Barata, were beaten again whilst handcuffed. In the military box, José Ricardo Vianna Gomez was reportedly beaten by two military police officers with a palmatorio with a hole in the middle. An officer reportedly put a weapon against his head, stating that he would kill him. They were said to have subsequently been thrown into a police van and to have been transferred to the Tierra Firma district police station, where José Ricardo Vianna Gomez was reportedly forced to sign a confession for armed robbery. He had reportedly stated that he did not possess a weapon, so a knife was said to have been placed on him. The next morning they were said to have been transferred to the district police station of São Bráz. Both had been said not to have received any medical treatment, despite a request for it. At the time of the interview (9 September 2000), marks consistent with their allegation, such as a rounded haematoma on the left upper leg of José Ricardo Vianna Gomez, haematomas on Marcio Furtado Correia Paiva’s left upper arm, an inflamed and swollen scar 1 to 2 centimetres in length on his head, and marks on Valdi Aleixo Barata’s right back, shoulder and arms, were still visible. On the same day, the Special Rapporteur found a palmatorio with a hole in the middle in the Tierra Firma military police box, on which was inscribed “Tiazinha, chega-te a mim” (snuggle up to me) and “Agora me dan medo” (now I am afraid), consistent in its description with that given by the persons named above. 170. Joel dos Santos Rocha was reportedly arrested on 5 September 2000 during his participation in a political rally. He was said to have been in a fight with members of a political party. Police officers reportedly arrived, beat him and gave him electric shocks in the street. As a result of the beatings, he is said to be suffering from injuries to his left arm, bruises on the two little fingers of his left hand and his eyes, scabs on both his knees and a painful nose.