A/HRC/10/52 page 19 Police 65. It was noted that the police used force unnecessarily in a number of incidents, including the use of tear gas at Edwards Secondary School in Kingtom, Freetown, which left 15 students seriously injured, and at an incident at the State House when police severely brutalized 6 journalists and damaged their equipment. Although an investigation was conducted, no charges were made against the officers. The Government provided US$ 6,200 compensation to the six journalists to close the matter. 66. According to the police Complaint, Discipline and Internal Investigation Department (CDIID), 56 police officers were dismissed for misuse of power and for committing serious crimes such as rape, larceny, and others, and files have been sent to the Ministry of Justice for possible prosecution. 67. Police detention facilities generally remained poor all over the country with inadequate supply of food, and poor living conditions including sanitation. In some of the detention facilities, juveniles were found together with adult suspects. IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 68. Some progress was made in 2008 in the promotion and protection of human rights. Efforts to strengthen national capacity for the promotion and protection of human rights have been undertaken through the establishment and operationalization of the Human Rights Commission. Several projects undertaken with the support of the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund led to capacity development in the area of human rights, and particularly in the justice sector and youth empowerment. Notwithstanding these positive developments, there are still a number of challenges in the area of human rights and the rule of law which must be addressed in furtherance of the consolidation of peace. Critical among these are sexual and gender-based violence, legal and constitutional reform, and capacity-building of justice sector institutions and the Human Rights Commission. 69. to: Accordingly, the High Commissioner strongly urges the Government of Sierra Leone (a) Complete the constitutional reform process in time as per the recommendations of the Lome Peace Agreement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations; (b) Develop a comprehensive strategy for the implementation of the outstanding Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, and support the implementation of the reparations programme through the establishment of a trust fund for victims of the conflict; (c) Provide adequate budgetary support for the Human Rights Commission and make timely disbursement of those allocations to enable the Commission to discharge its statutory function; (d) Ratify and domesticate outstanding international human rights treaties and increase efforts to comply with the reporting obligations under these treaties;

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