E/CN.4/1992/17
page 69
he died the same day. According to witnesses who allegedly saw his body the
next day, his limbs seemed swollen and showed traces of very violent torture
which caused his death. The same source reported that no inquiry was conducted
to establish the cause of death, as required by law. Mr. Chafubire belonged
to the Tutsi ethnic group, which, according to this source, is the dominant
force in the Uganda-based rebel movement which attacked the north-east region
early in October 1990. Many people suspected of sympathizing with the
movement were said to have been arrested recently and many of them were
reportedly beaten and otherwise ill-treated. Several of the 13 people tried
on 3 January 1991 by the Court of State Security told the Court that they had
been beaten and ill-treated by members of the security forces to force them to
confess. However, according to the source, the court did not take those
allegations into consideration.
196. On 20 May 1991, the Government transmitted a copy of pre-trial
proceedings No. 1488/05 of 20 March 1991, published by the Ministry of
Justice, concerning the "Inquiry into the cases of detainees and release of
accused persons who were unjustly detained".
Saudi Arabia
Letters and Government replies
197. On 14 February 1991 the Special Rapporteur addressed a letter to the
Government of Saudi Arabia transmitting information alleging that numerous
incidents of torture or ill-treatment had been perpetrated in the previous
months by Saudi Arabian officials. Most of the victims were said to be of
Yemeni nationality or descent and were among hundreds of Yemeni nationals
arrested during September 1990. Torture allegedly occurred during arrest and
detention and included severe beating, falaqa (beatings on the soles of the
feet), sleep deprivation, total submersion in water and electric shocks.
Two individual cases, those of Amin Shenad al-Shawafi and Said Abdo
Abrahim al-Shami, were reported in particular.
198. On 28 February 1991 the Government replied that the allegations were
"completely fabricated and groundless", and added the following:
"Yemeni citizens living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are well considered
by its Government and people ... However ... the Government of
Saudi Arabia had previously granted exceptions for the Yemeni population
from some rules and regulations applied to foreigners working in
Saudi Arabia, but these privileges enjoyed by nobody else have been
cancelled. These actions are not levelled against the Yemeni people but
they are in response to the irresponsible behaviour of the Yemeni
Government during the occupation by Iraq of the State of Kuwait."
Senegal
Letters
199. On 14 February 1991 the Special Rapporteur sent a letter to the
Government of Senegal transmitting information to the effect that the cases of
torture and cruel treatment had increased in the Casamance region, in the
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