A/HRC/23/51 - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

Date
Type
21/12/2012
JUA
21/12/2012
JAL
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
SAU 13/2012
Saudi Arabia
UKR 3/2012
Ukraine
Arbitrary detention;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Freedom
<strong>of</strong> peaceful assembly
and <strong>of</strong> association;
Human rights
defenders;
Terrorism;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Freedom
<strong>of</strong> peaceful assembly
and <strong>of</strong> association;
Human rights
defenders;
Alleged arbitrary detention <strong>of</strong> human rights defender. According to <strong>the</strong>
information received, on 11 December 2012, Mr Suleiman Ibrahim Saleh Al
Rashoudi held a meeting in Riyadh where he reportedly publicly asserted
that <strong>the</strong> rights to freedom <strong>of</strong> peaceful assembly and <strong>of</strong> association are
legitimate and internationally recognized. On 12 December 2012, he was
reportedly arrested while he was on his way to <strong>the</strong> Qassim region. The
Saudi Interior Ministry purportedly used a verdict from 2011 to arrest and
detain Mr Al Rashoudi. Mr. Al Rashoudi is also a defendant in a case which
reached <strong>the</strong> appeal stage. In this case, he was convicted <strong>of</strong> involvement in
forming a secret organization, attempting to seize power, incitement against
<strong>the</strong> King, financing terrorism, and money laundering.
Alleged attack against LGBT rights defenders. According to <strong>the</strong> information
received, on 8 December 2012, approximately one hundred lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) human rights defenders took part in a
peaceful demonstration in Kiev in order to commemorate International
Human Rights Day and to denounce Draft Law 8711, adopted at first
reading on 2 October 2012, which criminalizes any reference to
homosexuality in <strong>the</strong> media or public domain. As <strong>the</strong> demonstration began,
police allegedly stated that <strong>the</strong> assembly was illegal, despite <strong>the</strong> authorities
being reportedly notified <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> demonstration‘s location and time, in
accordance with Ukrainian law. A number <strong>of</strong> protestors were subsequently
reportedly attacked by members <strong>of</strong> a radical right-wing group, while one
individual also allegedly sprayed an unidentified gas into <strong>the</strong> crowd.
Sources state that police detained <strong>the</strong> alleged perpetrators as well as six
LGBT rights defenders, who were subsequently released. Two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> LGBT
defenders were reportedly charged with ―petty hooliganism‖ and were
issued a fine, while <strong>the</strong> organizer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> demonstration was allegedly
charged with conducting an illegal assembly, an <strong>of</strong>fence which could
reportedly result in a considerable fine.
18/03/2013
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>
31