URGENT ACTION

SOLDIERS HELD IN UNLAWFUL Place of DETENTION

Eleven of a group of 12 male soldiers held without charge in Guinea have been moved to an unlawful place of detention. The remaining detainee, Captain Ibrahima Sory Bangourah, is still held in a military barracks in Guinea's capital, Conakry. All 12 men remain at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

The men were arrested by soldiers in January 2009, soon after a group of military officers seized power in Guinea.

The 11 who were transferred areColonel Fodé Bacar Sylla, Colonel Soryba Yansané, Lieutenant Colonel David Syllah, Commander Issiaka Camara, Commander Pathio Bangourah, Captain Mamadou Bah Syllah, Captain Lansinet Keita, Lieutenant Ibrahima Kadja Barry, Sub-Lieutenant Alpha Oumar Diallo, Sub-Lieutenant Hassiniou Pendessa,and Sergeant Moussa Sylla. They were transferred during the night of2 August to another place of detention on the island of Kassa, west of Conakry. According to local sources,the men were only wearing underwear and were tied with ropes when they were moved. The place where the 11 are now held is not a lawful place of detention and does not meet the requirements under the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment. Amnesty International has documented several cases of people who were tortured and ill-treated during months of incommunicado detention there.

On the afternoon of 2 August,the families of the detainees requested to meet with militaryofficials at the Alpha Yahya barracks where they were previously held, to demand the release of their relatives. They were verbally abused, andone of them was assaulted by a soldier.Captain Ibrahima Sory Bangourahis still held at the barracks. Soldiers attacked him on 13 July, and accused him of passing information about his detention to newspapers in Guinea. Amnesty International has learnt that he needs medical treatment for injuries to his ears sustained in the attack.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in French or your own language:

• Calling on the Guinean authorities to release the 12 detainees immediately if they are not to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence;

• Expressing concern that 11 of the men have been moved to an unlawful place of detention, where others have previously been tortured while held incommunicado;

• Calling for guarantees that the detainees are not tortured or otherwise harmed;

• Calling on the authorities to ensure that while in custody, the 12 have regular access to their families, lawyers, and any medical treatment they may need.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 SEPTEMBER 2009 TO: