The National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) has denounced the killings of at least nine people by the National Police so far this year. The campaigners warned that they would not tolerate more abuse and the violation of people's rights by the uniformed authorities.

Commission president Manuel Maria Mercedes threatened to take the denunciations to institutions like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Human Rights Federation and the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.

However, Police headquarters denied the accusations, maintaining that its members respected the rights of those in custody.

Mercedes stated that as well as the deaths, they had proof of torture by police officers, and the document delivered by the CNDH stated: "Amongst the methods used to extract confession we came across onions rubbed into prisoners eyes, heads covered in plastic bags, being hit with broom handles, being hit in the ears with gloves or cloths so as not to leave marks".

Mercedes cited the case of Ramon Emilio Vasquez, who died at the hands of a police major on the 4th of this month; also Gregory Vasquez aged 24 and Raul Argenis Ventura.

Jose Gilberto died at the hands of police in la Vega, as well as Alejandro Valera Morel and Sacarias Diaz Peguero.

The Human Rights Commission says it has evidence that in Puerto Plata, police officers killed brothers Jose and Rudy Cabrera Pena, aged 24 and 21. Another was only identified as Julio "the man from Santiago".

Mercedes declared that he would motivate the population to demand that the police and the government put a stop to the murders by the police, after pointing out that it had not been confirmed that any of the cases had involved a true exchange of gunfire.

Police spokesman Colonel Maximo Baez Aybar said that when the police used excessive force, the institution would not tolerate this type of behavior. He stated: "Our commitment to society is to provide public safety and as part of this process there will always be confrontations; we work towards making those as few as possible, and having the least negative impact possible, including those who assault the members of the institution which serves and protects society".

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