A/HRC/10/44/Add.1 page 2 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The present document is a preliminary note concerning the mission to Equatorial Guinea, conducted at the invitation of the Government by the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak, from 9 to 18 November 2008. The final report will be published and submitted at a later stage. 2. The main purposes of the visit were to assess the current situation of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including the conditions of detention in pre- and post-trial detention facilities, and to make concrete recommendations to the Government on how to improve the situation. 3. During his visit the Special Rapporteur met with the First Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and la Francophonie, the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Justice, Religion and Prison Establishments, the Minister of the Interior and Local Corporations, the Minister for Social Affairs and the Advancement of Women, the Vice-Minister of National Defence, the Attorney-General of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the Governor of the Province of Bata - Litoral, and other officials, and visited a number of places of detention on Bioko Island and on the mainland.1 1 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) Black Beach Prison, Malabo Evinayong Prison Bata Prison Central Police Station, Malabo (twice: second time access denied) Central Gendarmerie Station, Bata Central Police Station, Bata (twice: second time access denied) Baney District Police Station Rebola Municipal Police Station Luba Municipal Police Station Luba District Gendarmerie Station Elan Nguema Municipal Police Station, Malabo Niefang District Police Station Niefang District Gendarmerie Station Evinayong Provincial Police Station Evinayong Provincial Gendarmerie Station Ngolo Municipal Police Station, Bata Mendoc-Asi Police Station, Bata Cogo District Police Station (access denied) Cogo District Gendarmerie Station (access denied) Mbini District Police Station Cogo Military Camp (access denied) Mané Ela Military Camp, Malabo (access denied)

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