A/HRC/7/68 page 11 (which subsequently lapsed) were released from prison, at least 29 remained in detention, mostly on criminal charges, including 3 women who were juveniles when arrested and who have been held in pretrial detention since 2000 and 2001. At least 33 others also facing criminal charges were reportedly released in 2007, apparently after the cabinet withdrew charges against them in accordance with provisions of the peace accord, regardless of whether they were involved in serious human rights abuses. The agreement of 23 December required all remaining CPN(M) detainees to be released by mid-January 2008. 42. After the release and apparent amnesty of some CPN(M) detainees, detainees accused of criminal offences organized protracted protests in a number of prisons calling for a general amnesty. Prison authorities were sometimes locked out of prisons for prolonged periods and prison infrastructure was damaged. Violent incidents inside prisons, in particular in Morang jail, resulted in serious injuries and at least one death. OHCHR raised its concern on a number of occasions about the lack of appropriate follow-up, including investigations, into these incidents. 43. On 21 June, the Home Ministry formed a high-level committee on prison reform to focus on responses to prisoners’ amnesty demands; a review of existing laws and regulations on parole for well-behaved detainees; and an assessment of the need for improvements to the infrastructure of prisons. In September, OHCHR and ICRC, with the Prison Management Department, conducted for the first time a four-day training session on prison-related human rights issues for prison managers from throughout the country. Abductions, torture and related abuses by CPN(M) members 44. The statements in November 2007 by Chairman Prachanda that directives had been given to stop abductions and other abuses were very important, but were not fully complied with and need to be matched with concrete steps to implement the directives, including cooperation in handing those responsible over to State authorities for investigation and prosecution. Abductions, ill-treatment and torture, as well as deaths related to abductions by CPN(M), dropped sharply after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, but there has been a resurgence in abuses since April 2007, and particularly in October and November, against the backdrop of the political crisis. The previous section has already examined abuses related to freedom of assembly and expression, including killings. Other abuses by CPN(M) and affiliated entities include abduction, threats, intimidation, physical assault, ill-treatment, torture and forced labour, especially in the context of parallel law-enforcement activities. Many of these abuses have been attributed to YCL, as documented in the OHCHR report of 22 June 2007 entitled “Allegations of human rights abuses by the Young Communist League”.3 Beatings in some cases were so severe that they amounted to torture. 45. In several cases, OHCHR experienced long delays in obtaining access to those taken into captivity. It should be noted nevertheless that the period of captivity was generally much shorter than in the past, usually from a few hours to several days, although some were held for up to a 3 Available from the website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, www.unhcr.org.