E/CN.4/2003/24 page 30 39. In the cases of Shihab R. and Omar R., there is no record of the alleged acts and it is impossible to verify the truth of the claim, which would make it possible to set in motion the relevant investigation of the alleged acts. In the case of Salh S., the acts referred to in the allegations of the Special Rapporteurs do not correspond to reality. The injuries suffered by Salh S. were caused by another minor, an inmate of the Purísima Concepción Centre for Minors in Melilla. The only action taken by the staff of the centre was to separate the two minors and obtain medical assistance. It has not been possible to verify the case of Ayman M. Nevertheless, it is not true that the person in question was repatriated in the circumstances described in the allegations. In 2002, 72 minors in Melilla were repatriated; handcuffs were never used, nor were the minors ever subjected to any ill-treatment by the authorities. 3. Observations by the Special Rapporteur 40. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Spain for its very detailed reply. Since Spain has become a crossing point for continuous immigration to Europe, he recommends that the Spanish authorities should take measures to ensure that the dignity of migrants, whether they are illegal or not, is respected in accordance with the international human rights instruments to which Spain is a party. The Special Rapporteur suggests that the border police and the Civil Guard should be made aware of those texts through training seminars in which the Commission on Human Rights could be involved. C. Russian Federation 1. Communication dated 28 August 2002 General manifestations of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia 41. It has been reported that there is a growing trend of violence against ethnic minorities and foreigners in the Russian Federation. Generally, the victims of racist attacks include persons from Africa, Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, including ethnic Chechens, and refugees and asylum-seekers. It is alleged that law enforcement officers are reluctant to register attacks as racist when there is evidence that the attacks are racially motivated and that officers fail to understand the serious implications of racially motivated violence. Police and other law enforcement officials themselves are routinely accused of subjecting racial and ethnic minorities to harassment and intimidation. 42. Specific examples illustrating the above-mentioned treatment include the following incidents: • It is reported that when Adefers Dessu, an Ethiopian refugee, and his wife Sarah were beaten by a 20 year-old boy armed with chains in Moscow in February 2001, the medical report stated that their injuries were the result of a “fall” and the police registered the attacker as a minor.