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

48
Date
Type
18/01/2013
JAL
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
BGD 2/2013
Bangladesh
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Freedom
<strong>of</strong> religion; Human
rights defenders;
Alleged attack on, and stabbing <strong>of</strong>, a prominent blogger in Dhaka.
According to <strong>the</strong> information received, on 14 January 2013, Mr. Asif
Mohiuddin was attacked by three unidentified men as he was leaving his
<strong>of</strong>fice in Uttara district. He was stabbed several times in <strong>the</strong> neck and back
and was in critical condition at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> sending <strong>the</strong> communication. Mr.
Mohiuddin is a prominent blogger, whose Bengali language blog ―Almighty
only in name, but impotent in reality‖ is reportedly one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most visited
websites in Bangladesh. In his blog, Mr. Mohiuddin, who is an a<strong>the</strong>ist,
frequently criticized religion, and also provided commentaries on free
speech and o<strong>the</strong>r human rights issues.
29/01/2013
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>
21/01/2013
JUA
IRN 3/2013
Iran (Islamic
Republic <strong>of</strong>)
Arbitrary detention;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression; Freedom
<strong>of</strong> peaceful assembly
and <strong>of</strong> association;
Human rights
defenders; Iran;
Alleged continued harassment <strong>of</strong> a woman human rights defender, including
a summons received to start serving her prison sentence received for
demanding justice for victims. According to information received, Ms.
Mansoureh Behkish, a netizen and founder and spokesperson <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Mourning Mo<strong>the</strong>rs (Madaran-e Azardar) movement was ordered to report to
Tehran‘s Evin prison on 29 January 2013, to begin serving a six-month
prison sentence. She was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in
December 2011 to four-and-a half years in prison on charges <strong>of</strong> ‗antigovernment
propaganda‘ and ‗activities threatening national security‘. The
sentence was reduced on appeal to six months regarding <strong>the</strong> antigovernment
propaganda charge and Ms. Behkish received a suspended
sentence <strong>of</strong> three-and-a-half years for activities threatening national
security. On 12 June 2011, Ms. Behkish was arrested by security agents in a
street <strong>of</strong> Tehran and subsequently transferred to section 209 <strong>of</strong> Evin Prison,
where she had been detained for a month. Previously, Ms Behkish had been
arrested along with 33 o<strong>the</strong>r members <strong>of</strong> Mourning Mo<strong>the</strong>rs on 9 January
2010 while demonstrating in Laleh Park.