E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6 page 51 31. Nur Mohammat Yasin (pen name Örkixi), aged 31, a Uighur writer and poet and author of the book, Wild Pigeon. He was arrested by the PSB and questioned by the SSB. During interrogations between 30 November 2004 and 17 May 2005 he was subjected to threats and beatings by the Kashgar Prefecture State Security Bureau. In one incident during an argument with a policeman, he was hit in the face and suffered a bleeding nose. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on charges of inciting separatism because of having published the book Wild Pigeon. He was brought to Prison No. 1, where he was beaten by fellow prisoners in his cell because he did not speak Mandarin. He thinks that there is no point in complaining to the prison guards. Since he has been convicted of a political crime, possibly on the basis of information extracted by torture, the Special Rapporteur appeals to the Government that he be released. VIII. Urumqi Prison No. 4 (Visited on 1 December 2005) 32. Urumqi Prison No. 4 has a male prison population of 1,731 of which 741 are Hans, 689 are Uighur, 170 are Hui and less than 1% is Mongolian. 134 detainees are sentenced to life imprisonment, 71 are sentenced to death penalty with 2 year reprieve and the remainder have fixed term sentences. 12% of the prisoners are detained for endangering national security. During the first three months in detention there is a special psychological training to see if the detainees have a violent disposition. If deemed violent they receive a separate management. At times if a detainee is ‘not in a good mood’ they can be seen as a threat and be subjected to seven days of ‘special management’. In terms of solitary confinement there is a maximum duration of 15 days. The Special Rapporteur was able to interview two detainees who were in solitary confinement. One detainee had been held in solitary confinement for nearly three weeks, and the second detainee did not know anymore for how long he had been held in solitary confinement. 33. The Special Rapporteur noted that one political prisoner convicted of political crimes whom he interviewed in Prison No.4 requested absolute confidentiality. 34. Yi Sheng Tang, aged 44. He has been in solitary confinement for nearly three weeks. At the time of the meeting with the Special Rapporteur, it was apparent that he was suffering from psychological problems and was distressed. The Special Rapporteur recommended to the prison officials that he be immediately released from solitary confinement. The prison officials promised to do whatever was possible to comply with the request of the Special Rapporteur. 35. Cao Xin Dong, aged 43. He did not know how long he had been in solitary confinement for and had not been told how long he would be kept in. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for car theft and fraud.