to control its own units, with the result that there had been some regrettable incidents involving destruction of villages, killings and acts of cruelty. However, although the Yugoslav army had committed crimes against humanitarian law, it had not carried out any summary executions. He agreed that those responsible had to be punished and that a recurrence of such crimes had to be prevented. Although it was difficult for the Government to control the army's activities, given the latter's state of disintegration, it bore responsibility for the army's action and was taking steps accordingly. The Government was thus prepared to punish all those responsible for crimes against civilians. A special commission had recently been established to investigate all reported violations of international humanitarian law, regardless of the nationality of the victims. Moreover, 30 members of the army or paramilitary groups were currently in prison for human rights violations and many other cases were under investigation. 446. Although the death penalty had not been abolished in Yugoslavia, it had been applied in a very limited way. There had been no executions in Serbia for 30 years and it was hoped that the new Constitution would abolish capital punishment altogether. Proposals had been made to authorize capital punishment only for the gravest forms of criminal acts perpetrated during a state of war or immediate danger of war, and to limit its application in other circumstances by requiring the unanimity of a panel of seven judges in passing the death sentence. 447. In the territory under federal Government control all interested groups, including non-governmental organizations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, had been invited to inspect places of detention and had offered advice and assistance, especially concerning prisoner exchange. An. impartial procedure for handling complaints of ill-treatment existed through the courts and the special investigation committee. Yugoslavia had ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its national legislation contained adequate protection agai&st such practices. Under article 16 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, a person suspected of having committed a criminal offence could be detained and held in confinement on the basis of an order issued by a competent court of law only when such detention was indispensable for the conduct of criminal proceedings or for reasons of public safety. The length of detention had to be kept as short as possible. The independence of the judiciary had been strengthened by amendments to the federal Constitution and also by the new constitutional law ia the various republics. The practice of re-electing judges had been abolished and judges were now elected to permanent posts. Freedom of movement and expulsion of aliens, right to privacy, freedom of religion, expression, assembly and association,,right ,to participate in the conduct of public affairs, non-discrimination, equality of the sexes and rights of persons belonging to minorities 448. With regard to those issues, members of the Committee wished to receive information on any special limitations a*i<l restrictions on the exercise of freedom of movement anct expulsion of aliens, the right to privacy, freedom of religion, expression, assembly and association and the right to participate in the conduct of public affairs and on the compatibility of those limitations and restrictions with the relevant provisions of the Covenant; on controls -107-