answer charges that in many cases are dismissed by the courts. Those interviewed by Human Rights Watch indicated that the conditions under which they are held are often overcrowded and filthy, with human waste on the floor, and blankets that are infested with lice. The activists are sometimes denied legal counsel and access to food, water, and needed medical assistance. In some cases, activists reported that while in custody the police subjected them to brutal beatings as part of interrogation or as punishment, which amounted to torture. Activists who persist in engaging in demonstrations and other activities are likely to face repeated arrests with its attendant torture and other ill-treatment. “you will be thoroughly beaten” 6