to obtain information, as punishment or to intimidate, or for any reason based on discrimination, by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of state authorities. The African Commission in the same vein, held that where the victims were subjected to a series of acts that, singly and in combination caused severe physical and mental pain and suffering, 100 inflicted by officials with the purpose of extracting information, the acts committed amounted to torture. 147.ln Abdel Hadi, Ali Radi & Others v Sudan 101, in which the victims went through various forms of physical torture during their detention ranging from severe beating with whips and sticks, doing the Arannabb Nut (rabbit jump), heavy beating with water hoses on all parts of their bodies, death threats, being forced to kneel with their feet facing backwards in order to be beaten on their feet, the African Commission held that the treatment and the surrounding circumstances were of such a serious and cruel nature that it attained the threshold of severity to amount to torture. 148.The African Commission turns to the facts in paragraphs 96 to 105 above which indicate among others that for the purposes of extracting information, the Victim received several death threats; slapped and beaten repeatedly with butts of guns causing injury to his back and broke his spin; punched whipped and beaten with various objects including an iron and metal wires; lashed for over two hours until his skin bleed; and electric shock devices placed on his chest, nails and shoulders; which subsequently resulted in itchy scalp from the chemical solution poured on his hair; temporary memory loss; and severe pain and suffering 102 . 149.Considering these circumstances, the African Commission finds that the physical assaults and their profound repercussions on the Victim's health and wellbeing constitute a serious and cruel nature that amounts to torture, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment. 150.Second, the Complainant argues that the Victim was detained incommunicado by the NISS and denied access to his family or a lawyer for the entire period of his detention for over a year, and was subjected to terrible prison conditions such as overcrowded and unsanitary prison cells; detention in close proximity to mentally ill death row inmates; and being held in solitary confinement with handcuffs and chained feet. The Complainant further argues that the Victim made repeated requests to be seen by a Medical Doctor while in detention, and the prolonged denial of access to his family, a lawyer and medical doctor was in breach of Article 5 of the African Charter.