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

Date
Type
17/01/2013
JAL
18/01/2013
JAL
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
SDN 1/2013
Sudan
AZE 1/2013
Azerbaijan
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Freedom
<strong>of</strong> peaceful assembly
and <strong>of</strong> association;
Human rights
defenders; Sudan;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Human
rights defenders;
Torture;
Alleged arbitrary closure <strong>of</strong> several human rights associations. According to
<strong>the</strong> information received, on 24 December 2012, <strong>the</strong> Sudanese Studies
Centre (SSC), a prominent human rights association, was ordered by <strong>the</strong>
authorities to close down for one year. On 31 December, Mr. Abdalla Abu
Alrish, Executive Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SSC, was summoned and interrogated by
NISS. On <strong>the</strong> same day, two o<strong>the</strong>r organizations, <strong>the</strong> ARRY Organisation
for Human Rights and Development and <strong>the</strong> Al Khatim Adlan Centre for
Enlightenment and Human Development, were also closed down by <strong>the</strong>
authorities. On <strong>the</strong> same day, <strong>the</strong> security services reportedly ordered <strong>the</strong>
Cultural Forum for Literary Criticism to cease all <strong>of</strong> its activities, and
interrogated Ms. Zeinab Belil, chairwoman <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Forum. It is reported that
demonstrations took place on 30 December 2012 and 6 January 2013 to
denounce <strong>the</strong> allegedly arbitrary NGO closures, but were met with excessive
use <strong>of</strong> force. These measures reportedly form part <strong>of</strong> an on-going campaign
aimed at intimidating and silencing independent civil society actors. In this
context, a presidential decree establishing a committee to examine demands
<strong>of</strong> foreign NGOs to work in Sudan was issued on 25 December 2012.
Allegations concerning <strong>the</strong> physical and psychological integrity <strong>of</strong> a human
rights defender in pre-trial detention. According to <strong>the</strong> information
received, since 22 June 2012, Mr. Hilal Mammadov had been in pre-trial
detention under charges <strong>of</strong>, inter alia, treason and incitement to national,
racial or religious hostility. It is reported that in November 2012, Mr.
Mammadov was beaten and injured by his cell mate who allegedly suffered
from a serious mental disease. It is also reported that, in November 2012,
<strong>the</strong> courts rejected a complaint filed by Mr. Mammadov denouncing acts <strong>of</strong>
torture and ill-treatment he allegedly suffered during his arrest, acts which
were reportedly supported by a forensic examination. Mr. Mammadov has
been a leader <strong>of</strong> Azerbaijan‘s ethnic Talysh minority and had shortly before
his arrest become editor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> newspaper Tolishi Sado (Talysh Voice), <strong>the</strong>
only newspaper published in <strong>the</strong> Talysh minority language <strong>of</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn
Azerbaijan.
20/03/2013
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>
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