African descent 5 1 20% 15 7 47% Arbitrary detention (+) 20 12 60% 1,235 685 55% ** 1 1 100% 8 6 75% * 0 0 0% 6 0 0% Business enterprises 0 0 0% 28 16 57% 1 0 0% 23 4 17% Cultural Rights 2 1 50% 34 24 71% Democratic and equitable international order 0 0 0% 5 3 60% Disability 6 4 67% 9 5 56% Disappearances (+) 6 1 17% 296 131 44% Discrimination against women in law and in practice 19 6 32% 137 64 47% DPR 0 0 0% 7 1 14% Education 0 0 0% 63 37 59% Environment 0 0 0% 13 8 62% 0 0 0% 2 0 0% Extreme poverty 2 0 0% 43 29 67% Food 0 0 0% 204 79 39% Foreign debt 1 0 0% 14 9 64% Freedom of expression 34 13 38% 2,331 1,215 52% Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 36 17 47% 740 434 59% Freedom of religion 5 1 20% 386 225 58% 0 0 0% 7 1 14% Health 19 8 42% 407 229 56% Human rights defenders 39 16 41% 2,621 1,471 56% of judges and lawyers 19 7 37% 1,010 530 52% Indigenous peoples 6 3 50% 319 190 60% Internally displaced persons 0 0 0% 18 5 28% 2 0 0% 89 43 48%
01/04/2015 JAL United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Discrimination against women; Health; Torture; Violence against women; Allegations concerning the persistence of provisions in North Irelands’ domestic legislation relating to abortion which restrict women and girls’ right to health and physical integrity under international human rights law. According to the information received, under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act and the 1945 Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Act, women or those who help a woman to have an abortion, may face life imprisonment. Furthermore, the 1967 Abortion Act does not apply in Northern Ireland. Abortion is only acceptable when there is a risk to the physical or mental health of the woman or existing children in the family, and abnormalities that could lead to a child being “seriously handicapped”. After the Ministry of Justice announced in December 2013 their intention to prepare a consultation document to review abortion laws in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission was granted leave to pursue a judicial review of these laws on 2 February 2015, the next stage of this legal challenge being a three-day hearing in June 2015. 02/04/2015 JUA Kazakhstan Arbitrary detention; Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Alleged arbitrary arrest and detention of an environmental civil society activist in relation to the exercise of his rights to freedom of association and of opinion and expression. According to the information received, on 7 March 2015, Mr. Saken Baikenov, a human rights defender from the Antigeptil human rights movement, which works on environment related issues, was arrested by officers of the National Security Committee in the city of Almaty and taken to Astana by plane the same day. On 9 March 2015, Saryarkinskiy District Court No. 2 in Astana charged him with “incitement to social, national, tribal, racial, class or religious discord” under Article 174 of the Criminal Code, an offence punishable by 12 to 20 years of imprisonment. Mr. Baikenov is reportedly to serve a two-month pre-trail detention period pending investigation. It is alleged that the arrest of Mr. Baikenov and the subsequent charges brought against him may be linked to a post he wrote on his Facebook page.
20/04/2015 JAL Kenya Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Terrorism; Allegations concerning the freezing of the bank accounts of two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). According to the information received, on 8 April 2015, Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) and HAKI Africa were unable to access their funds in their bank accounts as a result of the inclusion of these two organizations in an official list of entities suspected to be associated with Al-Shabaab. The list was published in the official government gazette on 7 April 2015. Since the gazette notice gave listed entities 24 hours’ notice to submit evidence as to “why [they] should not be declared as (a) specified entity(-ies)”, the two NGOs were unable to provide authorities with the necessary information within the required deadline. Concern is expressed that MUHURI and HAKI Africa may have had their bank accounts frozen as a result of their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities in Kenya. 20/04/2015 JAL The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Arbitrary detention; Health; Migrants; Torture; Allegations concerning the arbitrary detention of irregular migrants and asylum seekers, including children, at the Reception Centre for Foreigners “Gazi Baba” in Skopje. According to the information received, “Gazi Baba” has an official capacity of up to 150 people but currently holds approximately 350 detainees. These irregular migrants and asylum seekers are reportedly arbitrarily detained, sometimes for more than six months, without the possibility to challenge their detention in a court of law. Furthermore, detainees receive infrequent meals and some have to sleep on the floor. Migrants and asylum seekers suffer from medical problems caused or aggravated by the substandard conditions, the length of detention and the lack of consistent or adequate medical assistance. More specifically, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, inadequate heating, insufficient quantities of hot water and the lack of ventilation were mentioned as factors that contribute to the outbreak and spread of respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatological diseases.
20/04/2015 AL United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Sale of children; Allegations concerning numerous reported cases of sexual abuse and exploitation of children committed in various regions of the United Kingdom. According to the information received, between 1997 and 2014, numerous reported cases of sexual abuse and exploitation throughout the United Kingdom were improperly investigated by the authorities due partly to a culture of denial. Child victims were allegedly treated with contempt, re-victimized and did not receive the appropriate care required in such cases of sexual exploitation. Budget cuts to front line services have reportedly weakened the response available for child victims of sexual exploitation. General concerns are raised regarding the accountability of perpetrators and redress given to victims. 23/04/2015 JAL Afghanistan Cultural Rights; Discrimination against women; Freedom of religion; Violence against women; Allegations concerning the public lynching and setting on fire of an Afghan woman accused of burning a copy of the Quran. According to the information received, on 19 March 2015, after having been accused of burning a copy of the Quran at a public shrine in Kabul city, a mob comprised of approximately 30 men physically assaulted a 27-year-old student named Farkhunda with stones and sticks and ran her over with a vehicle three times. As a result, the victim died and her corpse was subsequently set on fire. Reportedly the police arrived at the scene while the lynching was ongoing but failed to adequately respond to the mob violence and prevent the victim’s death. On 20 March 2015, President Ashraf Ghani appointed a commission to investigate the case from a religious and legal point of view. On 24 March 2015, the criminal investigation, which was initiated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Kabul province, was reportedly transferred to the CID at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Interior given the high profile of the case.
30/04/2015 JUA Burundi Arbitrary detention; Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Summary executions; Truth, justice, reparation & guarantees on non-rec; Allégations relatives à l’usage excessif de la force par la police contre des manifestants qui aurait entrainé la mort de plusieurs d’entre eux, ainsi qu’à l’arrestation de plus de 200 manifestants, à la suspension de l’émission de plusieurs radios et à l’arrestation et détention provisoire d’un défenseur des droits de l’homme. Selon les informations reçues, le 26 avril 2015, de larges manifestations pacifiques auraient eu lieu à Bujumbura contre la candidature de l’actuel président Pierre Nkurunziza à la prochaine élection présidentielle. La police aurait tenté de disperser les manifestants et utilisé des gaz lacrymogènes, des canons à eau, des grenades et des armes à feux à balles réelles. Certains rapports indiquent un bilan d’au moins six morts, dont un policier, et 15 blessés au cours des affrontements, et plus de 200 arrestations de manifestants. Le gouvernement aurait interdit la réalisation et émission de reportages en direct des lieux des manifestations par la Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), la Radio Isanganiro et la Radio Bonesha FM. Le 27 avril 2015, M. Mbonimpa, défenseur des droits de l’homme, aurait été arrêté à la Maison de la Presse de Bujumbura alors qu’il s’y rendait pour donner une interview. M. Mbonimpa a fait l’objet de communications précédentes envoyées le 26 novembre 2009, voir A/HRC/13/22/Add.1, paras. 213- 218, cas BDI 3/2009 et le 28 mai 2014, voir A/HRC/27/72, cas BDI 1/2014.
29/05/2015 JAL Lao People's Democratic Republic Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Allegations concerning the non-compliance of a draft Decree on associations and foundations with international law and standards related to the rights to freedom of association and of opinion and expression. According to the information received, a draft Decree regulating associations and foundations in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was being reviewed by the Ministry of Home Affairs at the time of writing this communication. Serious concern is expressed that numerous provisions contained in the draft Decree do not comply with international human rights law and standards pertaining to the freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of association including the ability for associations to operate freely without State’s undue interference. 29/05/2015 JAL Nicaragua Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Alegaciones sobre presuntas agresiones y deportación arbitraria contra dos defensores de derechos humanos del Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL) que está basado en Costa Rica. Según la información recibida, los defensores de derechos humanos Señor Luis Carlos Buob Concha y Señora Marta González habrían viajado a Nicaragua el 15 de mayo de 2015 para sostener reuniones en el marco de su trabajo en la región por la defensa de los derechos humanos. En Nicaragua habrían sufrido agresiones y deportación arbitraria por parte de agentes migratorios, policía nacional y policía turística. B. Replies received between 1 May and 31 July 2015 relating to communications sent before 1 March 2015 11. The table below lists, in chronological order, communications dating before 1 March 2015 to which a reply or an additional reply has been received in the period between 1 May and 31 July 2015. Copies of the full text of the communications sent and the reply received during the reporting period can be accessed from the electronic version of this report available on the OHCHR website. Some names of individuals or other information have been rendered anonymous or otherwise unidentifiable.