Agents of the Paraguayan police have reportedly harassed and threatened 16- year-old Ramon Melgarejo since he made an official complaint of torture against them in April 1992. He has reported being repeatedly harassed by the police and being arbitrarily detained on at least two occasions. On 18 October, police allegedly came to his mother’s home looking for him, without a warrant for his arrest. On 24 October armed police in plain clothes, apparently under the influence of alcohol, reportedly forced entry into his sister’s house, where he was sleeping. Ramon Melgarejo fled from the back of the house; one police officer reportedly fired three shots at him. His mother presented a preventive habeas corpus on his behalf on 24 October; this has not yet been answered.
