Page 58 175. Despite the fact that it has several years ago ratified the UN Treaty Against Torture and all Forms of Punishment, Cruel and Inhuman Treatment and enacted a law in 2006 criminalising torture and withdrew its reservation on Article 20 of the Treaty Against Torture, Morocco still practices torture against Saharawi civilians, abuses them and denies them their right to physical and personal safety. 176. The acts of torture, rape and abuse against Sahrawi citizens, including women, children, the aged and persons with special needs, include psychological and physical torture by the Moroccan intelligence Service operatives in the streets and during raids, in police vehicles and during arrests and detentions:  Physical Torture: beating, inflicting wounds, using clubs and electrical wires, burning with cigarettes and using sharp tools to deform, covering eyes and tying hands and legs;  Psychological Torture: insults, defamation and use of invectives, prevention from sleep, interrogation for long hours, threat to rape, hurting the pride of individuals and their families and relatives;  Rape: Practising all forms of hurting one‟s pride directly or indirectly by using clubs or glasses or iron cables. 177. A number of reports of international and national human rights organisations contain information that confirms cases of the Sahrawi citizens being subjected to torture and inhuman treatment in recent years at the hands of the Moroccan Intelligence Service operatives. b) 178. Abductions The Moroccan authorities continued to perpetrate the crime of abduction against Sahrawi civilians in Western Sahara and parts of Southern Morocco because of their