proceedings before a court to test the lawfulness of detention), since the
complainant had no access to legal representation from December 1984 to
March 1985, and was therefore not in due time afforded the opportunity to
obtain, on his own initiative, a decision by a court on the lawfulness of his
detention.
656. In case No. 336/1988 (Nicole Fillastre v. Bolivia), the Committee found a
violation of article 9, paragraphs 2 and 3. It observed:
"Under article 9, paragraph 3, anyone arrested or detained on a criminal
charge 'shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time , ,.*. What
constitutes 'reasonable time9 is a matter of assessment for each
particular case. The lack of adequate budgetary appropriations for the
administration of criminal justice alluded to by the State party does not
justify unreasonable delays in the adjudication of criminal cases. Nor
does the fact that investigations into a criminal case are, in their
essence, carried out by way of written proceedings, justify such delays.
In the present case, the Committee has not heexi informed that a decision
at first instance had been reached some four years after the victims'
arrest. Considerations of evidence-gathering do not justify such
prolonged detention. The Committee concludes that there has been, in
this respect, a violation of article 9, paragraph 3." (annex IX, sect. K,
para. 6.5)
657. Violations of article 9 were also found in cases Kos. 277/1988
(Juan Teran Jijon v. Ecuador), 289/1988 (Dieter Wolf v. Panama) and 319/1988
(Edgar A. Canon Garcia v. Ecuador).
(d)
Treatment during imprisonment (Covenant, art. 10)
658. Article 10, paragraph 1, prescribes that all persons deprived of their
liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent
dignity of the human person, in case No. 289/1988 (Dieter Wolf v. Panama),
the author claimed that he had been ill-treated during detention and confined
to a special cell, together with a mentally disturbed prisoner, who allegedly
had killed several other inmates. In the same context, he stated that all his
property had been stolen in prison and that he had been denied food for five
days. The State party did not address the claim of maltreatment, and the
Committee found tnat the physical ill-treatment, and the denial of food for
five days did violate the author's right under article 10, paragraph 1
(annex IX, sect. K ) .
659. In cases Nos. 240/1987 (Willard Collins v. Jamaica), 271/1988
(Clyde Sutcliffe v. Jamaica) and 277/1988 (Juan Teran Jijon v. Ecuador), the
Committee found that a violation of article 7 (see sect, (b) above) also
entailed a violation of article 10, paragraph 1.
660. Paragraph 2 of article 10 gives accused persons the right to be
segregated from convicted prisoners and to be subjected to separate treatment
appropriate to their status as unconvicted persons. In case No. 289/1988
(Dieter Wolf v. Panama) the author was detained for a period of over a year at
a penitentiary for convicted prisoners, while he was unconvicted and awaiting
trial. The Committee found that this amounted to a violation of the author's
right under article 10, paragraph 2 (annex IX, sect. K ) .
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