E/CN.4/2001/66/Add.1 page 8 (b) Temporary detention facilities 21. On 8 May, the Special Rapporteur visited the Department to Combat Organized Crime at the invitation of the authorities. This Department was created in 1994 by presidential decree in order to fight organized crime and to disband armed groups which were said to be particularly active at that time. Its 250 officers, 100 of whom are based in Baku, are now mainly dealing with cases of trafficking of narcotics, corruption and counterfeiting. According to the cell registry, 134 persons had been detained at this Department since the beginning of the year. At the time of the Special Rapporteur’s visit, three persons were detained in clean cells containing beds with mattresses and blankets. No particular complaint was raised by the detainees interviewed by the Special Rapporteur. 22. On 8 May, at the invitation of the head of the Baku City Police Department, the Special Rapporteur visited its provisional detention ward, commonly known as “Gorotdel”. At the time of the visit, 14 persons were detained, mostly on drug-related or counterfeiting charges, in clean, but very hot cells containing beds with mattresses and blankets. It should be noted that detainees were not separated according to whether they were first-time offenders or had been previously convicted. All detainees interviewed by the Special Rapporteur indicated that they had feared at the time of arrest or first interrogation being subjected to ill-treatment if they did not comply with their investigators’ requests. Some said that they had actually been beaten at the place where they were first detained, while others said that they had been threatened with beatings if they did not sign the confession prepared by the investigators. For example, one of the detainees reported having been beaten, slapped on the face, threatened with rubber truncheons and forced to sign a confession at one of the Baku district police stations. But, fearing further ill-treatment, all detainees requested the Special Rapporteur to keep their identities and testimonies confidential. The Special Rapporteur notes with concern that their fear, well founded or not, prevented them from reporting the treatment they had been subjected to. 23. On 14 May, the Special Rapporteur returned to “Gorotdel” where 14 persons were detained. Contrary to the first visit, some detainees were sleeping on wooden planks without mattress or blanket. According to the registry book, all periods of detention which had lasted for more than two days had been authorized by a prosecutor. However, according to information received, one person was recorded in the registry book a day after his actual detention. The same fears were expressed by the detainees on this occasion as had been expressed previously: the detainees refused to either give their names or to tell the Special Rapporteur about the treatment they had been subjected to since their arrest. Some gave very convincing testimonies according to which they had been beaten and slapped, in particular by officials from “Gorotdel”. Some detainees also stated that they had been asked to pay bribes. 24. During his visit to Bailov SIzo, the Special Rapporteur met two detainees who had been held in “Gorotdel” for one month and two days and for two months, respectively, charged with betrayal of the motherland and murder. Both refused to speak to the Special Rapporteur about the treatment they received while they were interrogated at “Gorotdel”, for fear of reprisals.