E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6 page 46 V. Tibet Autonomous Region Prison, also known as Drapchi Prison (Visited on 27 November 2005) 16. The prison, sometimes referred to as Drapchi Prison, has a mixed population of approximately 900 inmates of which 7 to 8% are women. The Special Rapporteur was informed that virtually all of the detainees have confessed to their crimes, and that a strong emphasis on education is placed on those who have not yet confessed. He was told that there had been a sharp decrease in solitary confinement cases, with only one such case since 2003 where the person concerned wanted to commit suicide. There are 10 isolation cells, the tenth cell is padded and designed especially for detainees with suicidal tendencies. All have a window in the roof with direct sunlight and also a surveillance camera. The Special Rapporteur was also provided with a list of 15 names of detainees who had died in custody - one related to suicide and the other 14 due to illness. While no detainee interviewed in TAR prison claimed to have been tortured or ill treated during detention there, the Special Rapporteur received reports from former TAR prisoners held in other facilities, who reported being bound and beaten with a sand-filled plastic stick, as well as reports of being beaten with electroshock batons. Although high level officials of TAR had informed the Special Rapporteur that all prisoners who had received a sentence of more than 10 years were serving their sentence in the TAR prison, he found out only during his visit to the TAR prison that most of the prisoners that the Special Rapporteur wished to interview had in fact been moved on 12 April 2005 to the newly established Qushui prison, the existence of which had not been mentioned at all during the briefing with the TAR officials. 17. The Special Rapporteur requested to meet with a number of prisoners but was told only after a considerable delay that these individuals had been transferred in April 2005 to a newly established facility, Qushui Prison. Detainees interviewed at Drapchi prison requested absolute confidentiality. VI. Qushui Prison (Visited on 27 November 2005) 18. Qushui prison is a new prison which was opened in April 2005. It has a male prison population of over 300. It is to this prison that a large number of former TAR prison detainees were transferred as part of its reorganization. The Special Rapporteur was informed that Qushui prison is for very serious crimes (i.e. sentences of over 15 years), and holds the principal criminal actors while accessories are held in Drapchi. The Special Rapporteur was particularly concerned by reports that Tibetan monks held in this prison are not allowed to pray and that in some cases are only allowed outside of their cells for 20 minutes per day. Concern was also expressed by reports that prisoners cannot work nor exercise and that they have nothing to read. Prisoners complained about the food, the extreme temperatures experienced in the cells during the summer and winter months and a general feeling of weakness due to lack of exercise. Prisoners transferred from Drapchi stated that basic conditions were better in Drapchi. In particular, that the prison lacks proper work and recreation facilities for long term prisoners. The Special Rapporteur recommends that in general: prisoners are provided with recreational activities; are allowed to conduct religious worship; the temperature is adequately controlled, particularly in summer and winter months; and that the quality of food is improved.