E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.2 page 57 released on the following morning thanks to the pressure of other journalists. She was reportedly accused of non-compliance with a police officer and petty hooliganism. According to the information received, on 31 July 2002, the Kirghilinski court convicted her of disturbance of the public order under the Administrative Code. The court is reported to have issued a warning. But the appeal (regional) court is said to have ruled that she was not guilty. During her trial, she asked for a medical examination. After three days, the judge is said to have authorized such an examination, which is said to have revealed light bruises consistent with her allegations. It is believed that the officers who were implicated in the fabrication of false evidence in her case were under investigation at the time of writing. It is believed that she was arrested because on that day she had shown to other journalists in the city of Durma where a young boy had allegedly been killed by SNB officers. Humiedin Tursunov was reportedly arrested on 8 July 2002 by MVD officers from Altaruk regional MVD office (ROVD). It is believed that he was accused of having caused a scandal on the street. He was reportedly taken to the Altaruk ROVD where he was questioned the following day. He was allegedly beaten at the back of the neck and on the wrists while being seated on a chair with his hands tied in the back with a view to making him confess a rape. It is also alleged that he was beaten on the heels. According to the information received, he was subjected to this treatment over three or four consecutive days, for three or four hours every day. As a result, on the fourth day, he is said to have signed a confession admitting that together with his brother, Shamsudin Tursunov, he had raped a girl in 2000. It is believed that he signed this confession in front of a woman who he later learnt was a State-appointed lawyer. On 22 July the investigation is said to have been completed and the criminal file to have been forwarded to a magistrate. It is reported that the trial only started on 16 October. During the trial, the alleged rape victim stated that she had been forced to make a false accusation because of the beatings she had allegedly been subjected to. Despite the absence of any accusation, he is said to have been convicted and sentenced to six years in prison. His brother, who was a co-defendant in the case, but who was also later accused of murder, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. It is alleged that the latter was convicted on a confession extracted under torture. At some point during the pre-trial investigation, Humiedin Tursunov is believed to have seen his brother being dragged from an interrogation room, covered with bruises all over his body and unable to walk. The family is said to have sent several complaints to the Ombudsman, to no avail. Humiedin Tursunov was eventually amnestied and released on 20 November. Elena Urlaeva, on whose behalf the Special Rapporteur intervened previously by joint communication with the Special Representative on human rights defenders on 1 October 2001, and by joint urgent appeal with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Representative on human rights defenders on 17 September 2002, was reportedly detained on 28 August 2002 after having taken part in a peaceful protest outside the Ministry of Justice. She had reportedly been active on behalf of victims of torture, by attending court proceedings and urging families to present the issue of torture before the judiciary. She had furthermore contributed to a shadow report to the Committee against Torture. The decision to intern her for involuntary treatment was reportedly taken by the Mirabad inter-district court. The judgement is said to have contained information of complaints she had submitted which were said to have been fabricated. In the psychiatric hospital, Elena Urlaeva is said to be receiving medication and injections against her will, namely a daily injection of triftazin, and an injection of modaten depot every 10 days. She is reportedly being given azleptol and triflooperazin on a daily basis.

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