A/HRC/45/CRP.11 inflicted intentionally, committed for a specific purpose and involve a public official, either directly or indirectly.759 The specific purpose could include extracting a confession, obtaining information, punishment, intimidation, humiliation, coercion or any reason based on discrimination.760 317. DGCIM agents committed torture against the detainees in each of the case studies. The Mission examined a further 77 cases in which military personnel and associates alleged having been tortured by DGCIM. Foro Penal, meanwhile, has recorded 250 cases of torture of military dissidents and associates between 2014 and 2020.761 Acts of torture usually occurred during interrogations, shortly after arrest while detainees were held incommunicado and before the initial appearance. Some detainees were also tortured during later periods of detention in Boleíta. 318. Questions put to detainees suggest that the acts were carried out to obtain a confession from the detainee, to get information regarding the participation of others in alleged conspiracies and/or to punish the detainee. The Mission spoke to a former longterm DGCIM officer who confirmed the practice of torture in DGCIM. The source said, “There was torture in detention centres. You knew from colleagues who told you about it. You had to get the information out of the person whatever the cost”.762 319. The Mission has information regarding patterns of conduct in the torture methods used by DGCIM officers, both male and female, against military personnel and associates. The case review suggests that DGCIM torture methods evolved between 2014 and 2020, with a marked increase in violence since 2017. The Mission documented the following acts of torture and other ill-treatment: • Heavy beatings with bats and sharp objects, leaving visible marks, broken bones and damaged organs • Excessively tight handcuffs resulting in cuts to the wrists • Asphyxiation with toxic substances and water • Stress positions known as “the octopus” and “crucifixions” • Conditions including constant lighting, isolation in darkroom for days, no access to toilets, blindfolding • Sexual and gender-based violence including forced nudity, threats of rape and rape • Cuts and mutilations including in the bottom of the feet and the nails • Electric shocks in sensitive parts of the body (including to the genitals) • Food and water deprivation, eating from the floor, forceful feeding of faeces • Psychological torture, including death threats to victim and family members 320. Some of these acts resulted in serious and/or permanent physical injury. This included loss of sensory or motor functions, reproductive injuries, blood in urine and broken ribs among others.763 These acts also resulted in severe psychological trauma and depression. One individual attempted to commit suicide on two occasions while in detention. 764 Former captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo died while in DGCIM’s custody, due to torture received during detention (see case below). In one case, a female detainee was beaten despite telling officials she was pregnant; she later had miscarriage.765 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 CAT, art. 1. Ibid. Under international criminal law, it is not settled whether torture as a crime against humanity requires the act to be committed with a specific purpose. Document on file with the Mission. Mission Interview C2HH04 in July 2020. C3DD17, C3DD30, C3DD31, C3DD35, Case 15: Colonel Rommel Acevedo, Case 16: Sargent Luis Bandres Figueroa, First Lieutenant Alberto José Salazar Cabañas. C3DD20. C3EE10. 85