E/CN.4/1990/17 page 66 investigation has led to conclusive results can, however, hardly be ascribed to this concurrent responsibility but can readily be explained by the security risks encountered by investigators and the lack of co-operation given to them. 214. During his stay in Guatemala the Special Rapporteur also visited the central prison of Pavon. In the spring of 1989 riots broke out there in protest against the prison conditions and the prison regime in general. The Special Rapporteur at that time received allegations that torture used to be practised in Pavon prison and he also received information that after the riots had been quelled prison inmates were severely maltreated. This latter information was confirmed by the inmates during the Special Rapporteur's visit. It was also said, however, that the situation had considerably improved since the appointment of a new prison administration. With one exception, the Special Rapporteur received no complaints about ill-treatment by prison personnel. Prison inmates seem to receive ample opportunity for education and professional training; new facilities are being built, and the atmosphere was relatively relaxed. 215. The human rights situation in Guatemala undoubtedly calls for drastic measures. The Government seems to be well aware of the need for such measures. President Vinicio Cerezo assured the Special Rapporteur that those who were responsible for the recent wave of violence and who were trying to destabilize the democratic system would be brought to justice. He also drew attention to the fact that the rule of law was a recent notion for the country and that the legal institutional system was deficient. Some steps to improve the system had already been taken but needed time to take effect. 216. In this context the Special Rapporteur may make the following recommendations: (a) All allegations about serious human rights violations, such as harassment (death threats), abduction, torture and killings, should be promptly and thoroughly investigated; (b) Persons who obstruct such investigations should be immediately brought to court and punished in accordance with the law; (c) In order to improve investigative capacities the Office of the Attorney-General should be strengthened; consideration should also be given to the re-establishment of a judicial police force as a separate branch of the police; (d) Meaningful and effective steps should be taken to guarantee the security of all persons involved in the investigation and monitoring of human rights violations; (e) All persons who are found to be responsible for human rights violations should be prosecuted and, if proved to be guilty, punished; if the victim is a civilian, they should in principle be tried by a civilian court, irrespective of their status; (f) Training programmes of the police and the security forces should contain human rights courses in which it is emphasized that serious violations of human rights (such us torture) will be severely punished and that no orders to commit such human rights violations may be obeyed;