CAT/C/75
page 10
had not resisted arrest. Five said that they had been arrested by the judicial police in the Loxicha
region on various dates, namely one in 1996, two in 1998, one in 1999 and one in June 2001; all
of them - except one, who said he had been forced, under threat of death, to sign blank sheets of
paper but had not been beaten - said that they had repeatedly been beaten and threatened; one
said that he had received electric shocks. Another inmate, who had been arrested in
September 1999 in Oaxaca by a police patrol, said that he had been beaten when detained and
during his arrest and during his time in the judicial police cells, where he had also been
threatened in order to force him to confess to participation in a case of bodily injury and rape.
The other five interviewees said that they had not been tortured or ill-treated.
29.
During their visit to the Etla CERESO, the Committee members met nine inmates. Of
these inmates, two indigenous men from the Loxicha region said that they had been severely
beaten on being arrested by the judicial police in 1997, one of them in Oaxaca and the other in
Putla de Guerrero, on charges of belonging to subversive groups and committing various
offences in connection with the groups’ activities; one of them said that he had been subjected to
electric shocks, that carbonated water had been poured into his nose and that a plastic bag had
been placed over his head. A third man said that he had been kicked by the police when detained
and had been obliged to sign blank sheets of paper. The other inmates said that they had not
been tortured or ill-treated.
(c)
Guerrero
30.
During their visit to the Chilpancingo CERESO, the Committee members
interviewed 11 inmates who had been arrested in various parts of the State. Of the arrests, two
had taken place in 1998, two in 1999, one in 2000 and the rest between May and June 2001. One
of the men arrested in 1998 said that he had been subjected to psychological, but not to physical
pressure; three said that they had been hit repeatedly; the others said that they had been hit,
threatened and subjected to other forms of torture, such as the pouring of water into their noses
or mouths, the placing of plastic bags (which in one case contained lime) over their heads, or
mock executions. One woman said that she had been raped repeatedly, an assertion borne out by
the medical examinations carried out when she entered the prison. The perpetrators of those acts
had been: in seven cases, members of the judicial police, in two cases, members of the judicial
police and police patrols, in one case, members of the municipal police, and in one case,
members of a police patrol.
31.
During their visit to the Acapulco CERESO, the Committee members interviewed nine
inmates who said they had been hit or had suffered other forms of torture. All of them said that
they had been arrested in Acapulco; the exception was the only woman to have been
interviewed, who said that she had been arrested in Apango. Two of the arrests took place in
July 2000 and the remainder in 2001. One of the male detainees said that he had been burnt with
a cigarette lighter; another had suffered a cut ear, and several, including the woman, had had a
bag placed over their head and/or carbonated water or water containing chilli powder poured into
their nose; one man had been given electric shocks. The perpetrators of those acts had been: in
six cases members of the judicial police, in two cases, police patrols, and in one case, members
of the municipal police. The worst forms of torture had been inflicted by members of the
judicial police. In addition to those nine inmates, the Committee members interviewed three
detainees who said they had not been tortured or ill-treated.