118 Europe and Central Asia Summary of Amnesty International’s Concerns in the Region, January – June 2007 claimed that they received no communication from the police or other Spanish authorities to inform them officially of Osamuyia Apitaye’s death. AI was told by the brother of the deceased man that he discovered the death when he received a telephone call from a friend who was on board the aborted flight to Nigeria and personally witnessed the incident. On 10 June he went to the police station in Torrejón, Madrid, to ask for information but was told that they had no knowledge of his brother’s death and only knew he had been deported. They referred him to the Nigerian embassy in Madrid but when the family made further enquiries they discovered that the embassy had no knowledge of the death. AI wrote to the Minister of Interior to express its grave concerns over the death and to reiterate concerns over the use of force and immobilisation techniques employed by law enforcement officers during expulsions. AI highlighted that the recommendations of international organisations relating to regulating the use of force in expulsions are not codified in official expulsion procedures (“Procedimiento para el traslado por vía aérea de nacionales de terceros países sobre los que hayan recaído resoluciones de expulsion”) and called on the government to conduct an urgent and comprehensive review of official expulsion procedures and restraint techniques to ensure they comply with international human rights standards. AI also called on the Spanish authorities to respect the absolute prohibition on the use of adhesive tape and gags, as recommended by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights (Recommendation concerning the rights of aliens wishing to enter a Council of Europe member State and the enforcement of expulsion orders, 19 September 2001, in particular Articles 12 – 18, and the prohibition of handcuffs during take-off and landing). Amnesty International Police ill-treatment AI continues to receive allegations of police ill-treatment, torture and excessive use of force and investigated numerous incidents during research missions to the country in March and June. In April evidence became public from an operation initiated by the Director General of police in Catalonia following numerous allegations of ill-treatment in the Mossos d’Esquadra (autonomous police) station in Les Corts, Barcelona. Secret cameras installed in the station had captured video evidence of two incidents of apparent excessive use of force on detainees. In one incident a handcuffed female detainee is seen apparently being slapped in the face by a female officer. The same woman claims that she was subsequently subjected to a further beating, not captured on camera, which resulted in 38 bruises. In the second video recording, a man is beaten and forced to the ground by four officers. Both victims have brought criminal complaints against the officers involved, which are currently under investigation. The officers have all been suspended from duty pending the outcome of the inquiries. The Mossos d’Esquadra trade unions have all called for the suspension order to be lifted, some arguing that the use of force captured in the video recording was necessary and proportionate. Following the incidents the autonomous regional government has announced plans to install video cameras in all areas of Mossos d’Esquadra police stations within a year. The autonomous regional government is also in the process of creating an independent police oversight body which will have powers to demand information on allegations of ill-treatment and excessive use of force. On 20 May Sergio Carmona González died after allegedly falling from a Mossos d’Esquadra police car taking him for an identity parade. Police sources allege that he climbed onto the roof of the car while it was in motion and died when he lost balance as the driver braked. The family of the deceased man claim he was beaten by AI Index: EUR 01/010/2007