A/HRC/13/39/Add.2 82. Neto Fabian Sierra and his son (cell 108) were transferred from the prison in La Tablada to Libertad as a punishment, initially for three months. However, the three months had reportedly already expired and they did not know the reason for their continued detention at Libertad. 83. Gary de los Santos, aged 29 (cell 107), was one of the prison delegates, and he reported that the prison authorities did not let the representative working group do their work properly. Their only achievement had been painting the visiting facilities. He further reported the frequent use of rubber bullets by the police to disrupt tensions or disputes between detainees, during the two to four hours a week they spent in the courtyard playing football. 84. Enrique Rafael Cahez Silva, aged 42, was a prison delegate. He had been detained since 1989, and was transferred to Las Latas in 2003. At the time of the visit he had a single cell. He complained about being locked up all the time and the terrible hygienic situation. He said that he was allowed to go to the patio on Thursdays and Fridays for 1 1/2 hours. He complained about the quality of the food, and noted that the detainees were usually not allowed to receive the food their visitors brought them. He also noted that the searches of visitors were very harsh. During searches, they were all taken out of their cells and forced to undress and to stand with their legs spread out outside the cells. They were also beaten with cables, truncheons and other sticks, and the guards aimed their rifles at them. These searches took place every 30 days, and they usually received collective punishments, although the last search had been at Christmas. A common collective punishment was forbidding them to go outside if two detainees had a fight. Finally, he added that there “had to be blood” in order to be taken to see a doctor, and that they were usually beaten on the way there. According to him, the worst was the absolute lack of activities. He also complained that all visitors were strip-searched before being allowed into the facilities. 85. A male detainee, aged 26, had been detained for six years and had spent the last year in Las Latas in a cell with two other inmates. He indicated that persons who could pay would be held in “normal” cells. He reported that on 15 February, a guard came into his cell and wanted to wake his friend up by beating him with a stick and punching him. He told the guard not to beat his friend. All three cellmates were ordered out of the cell and were kicked for approximately 15 minutes. They were also beaten on the knees and joints. He was then removed from the courtyard and taken outside so that the other detainees could not see what was happening. The beating continued for 15 more minutes. According to him, the beating stopped when the guards’ supervisor arrived at the scene. He indicated that there was no one he could complain to. However, since 2004–2005 things had improved regarding ill-treatment and beatings. 86. Gerardo Manuel Beledo Da Silva (cell 101) reported that his biggest complaint concerned the overcrowding in Las Latas. There were severe tensions between the detainees. Sometimes they did not even get bread, milk or water, and they were not allowed to have their own food. Sometimes the detainees had no water for two days. He added that visitors were ill-treated: they were strip-searched and also subjected to cavity searches. With regard to the health services, he indicated that he really needed medications but was not given any. The detainees had to make deep cuts in their veins if they wanted to receive medical attention. The guards were always in a winning position: they could take people out of their cells and beat them with sticks. However, they had not had a search for a long time. During the searches, the detainees had to stand naked outside their cells. One could get beaten for the slightest misbehaviour, and such beatings happened on a regular basis. The Director was not trained for prison management but was a former military officer. They had meetings with him once a month. Recently, the detainees were given a football. The cells at Las Latas were in fact punishment cells; however, some detainees were also taken to the isolation cells on the fifth floor for misbehaving. The guards would use tear gas 40 GE.09-17655