E/CN.4/1989/15
page 23
Viet Nam
105. On 29 November 1988, a l e t t e r was addressed t o the Government of Viet Nam
transmitting information alleging that Pham van Thuong, Le Manh That and Tran
van Luong had been arrested in April 1984 and sent to the Phan Dang Lun
prison. They were allegedly condemned to death l a s t September by the Supreme
Court of J u s t i c e of Ho Chi Minh City, because of their involvement with a
movement known as "the Front for Human Rights in Viet Nam". Furthermore, i t
was reported t h a t during their detention in the Phan Dang Lun prison they were
subjected to t o r t u r e and i l l - t r e a t m e n t .
C.
Urgent action
106. A number of requests for urgent action were received during 1988. The
Special Rapporteur decided t o bring 42 of these t o the immediate a t t e n t i o n of
the respective Governments on a purely humanitarian b a s i s , t o ensure that the
r i g h t t o physical and mental i n t e g r i t y of the individual was protected. He
also requested information on remedial measures, including those taken by the
j u d i c i a r y , in case the a l l e g a t i o n s were proved c o r r e c t . Most of the
a l l e g a t i o n s concerned persons subjected t o t o r t u r e during interrogation while
being held incommunicado by security police.
107. The urgent appeals sent and the replies received are summarized below.
Benin
108. A message was sent on 24 March 1988 concerning Antoine Yelcme, Marcellin
Glele Akpokpo and Bah Bagnikan Yaya Malehossou arrested on account of the
non-violent p o l i t i c a l a c t i v i t i e s of their sons. It was reported that
Antoine Yelome was arrested on 8 February 1988 and taken to camp Sero Kpera in
Parakou on 10 February 1988 where he was subjected to t o r t u r e . Marcellin
Glele Akpokpo and Bah Bagnikan Yaya Malehossou were reportedly arrested on
7 December 1987 and are s t i l l held in the police s t a t i o n in Abomey. They have
allegedly been subjected t o t o r t u r e and i l l - t r e a t m e n t in order to make them
provide information on the whereabouts of their sons.
Burkina Fa so
109. A message was sent on 4 July 1988 concerning five students (Guy Yogo,
Sasa Serene, Christophe Dima, Serge and Kanwoussa Tall) allegedly arrested on
17 May 1988 in connection with a demonstration organized to commemorate the
arrest of former president Thomas Sankara on 17 May 1983. None of the
students and school pupils who remained in detention had been charged. One of
them was transferred to hospital several days after his arrest because of
serious injuries to his head sustained while in custody. The others are held
in detention, either at the security police headquarters or the central
Commissariat. Fear was expressed that they might have been subjected to
torture.
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