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

42
Date
Type
15/01/2013
JUA
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
KAZ 1/2013
Kazakhstan
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Human
rights defenders;
Independence <strong>of</strong>
judges and lawyers;
Torture;
Alleged conviction <strong>of</strong> human rights defender following alleged ill-treatment
while in detention and violations <strong>of</strong> fair trial standards. According to <strong>the</strong>
information received, Mr. Vadim Kuramshin was arrested on charges <strong>of</strong>
extortion on <strong>23</strong> January 2012. He was acquitted <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se charges by a jury
on 28 June 2012, which in turn convicted him for a minor <strong>of</strong>fense.
Following <strong>the</strong> annulment <strong>of</strong> this verdict by <strong>the</strong> appeals panel, he was once
again placed in pre-trial detention. Allegedly he was beaten and threatened
while in detention and that he went on a hunger strike in protest. In addition
to this, significant irregularities in <strong>the</strong> new trial against Vadim Kuramshin,
were reported who was eventually sentenced to 12 years‘ imprisonment in a
penal colony under strict conditions. It has also been alleged that Ms.
Raziya Nurmasheva, Mr. Kuramshin‘s defense lawyer, who intended to
appeal <strong>the</strong> verdict, was suspended from <strong>the</strong> case, refused access to her
client, and had a decree issued against her aiming to revoke her license to
practice law. Mr. Kuramshin is a defender <strong>of</strong> prisoners‘ rights and a vocal
critic <strong>of</strong> conditions in Kazakh prisons.
11/02/2013
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>
16/01/2013
JUA
COL 2/2013
Colombia
Arbitrary detention;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Human
rights defenders;
Indigenous peoples;
Alegación relativa a la detención de un defensor de derechos humanos.
Según la información recibida, Sr. Manuel Antonio Bautista Pequi,
miembro de la Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas del Norte del Cauca
(ACIN), fue arrestado el 4 de enero de 2013 en Santander de Quilichao por
agentes de la policía. De conformidad con las informaciones recibidas, fue
imputado del delito de rebelión, al parecer sin pruebas suficientes. Un grupo
de indígenas que le acompañaban fueron heridos por elementos policiales
del Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios (ESMAD). Según lo informado, 139
órdenes de captura contra dirigentes indígenas, incluyendo el Sr. Bautista
Pequi, fueron expedidas debido a su participación en los actos de protestas
por indígenas Nasa en contra de la presencia de actores armados en su
territorio en julio de 2012. Esta última situación motivó una comunicación y
una declaración pública del Relator Especial sobre los derechos de los
pueblos indígenas en agosto de 2012.
03/04/2013