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

77
Date
Type
19/12/2011
UA
09/02/2012
JUA
15/02/2012
JUA
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
CAN 3/2011
Canada
SAU 3/2012
Saudi Arabia
SAU 5/2012
Saudi Arabia
Indigenous peoples; Alleged dire social and economic conditions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Attawapiskat First Nation,
nor<strong>the</strong>rn Ontario, Canada, and <strong>the</strong> alleged poor living conditions in aboriginal
reserves. According to <strong>the</strong> information received, many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Attawapiskat First
Nation live in unheated shacks or trailers, with no running water, posing severe
problems in light <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> impending harsh winter. Reportedly, <strong>the</strong> Government <strong>of</strong>
Canada has agreed to provide emergency housing in Attawapiskat to address <strong>the</strong>
crisis situation. However, this assistance has allegedly been made contingent on
third party management <strong>of</strong> funds, which <strong>the</strong> Attawapiskat First Nation reject as not
being responsive to <strong>the</strong>ir needs. The Band also reportedly continue to suffer from
<strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> disasters, including an oil spill in 1979 that destroyed
<strong>the</strong> public schools and a massive sewage flood in 2009, allegedly caused by a
DeBeers diamond mine located on Attawapiskat traditional lands. First Nations
communities are reportedly systematically underfunded as compared to non-
Aboriginal towns, and <strong>the</strong> federal government allegedly maintains a 2% cap on
spending increases for core services for Aboriginal peoples and cities.
Independence <strong>of</strong>
judges and
lawyers; Summary
executions;
Torture;
Independence <strong>of</strong>
judges and
lawyers; Summary
executions;
Alleged imminent execution. According to information received, Mr. Mohamed
Fahd Al Wajaan Al Shamari, aged 35, was sentenced to death on 7 February 2009,
for a drug related <strong>of</strong>fence. During trial Mr. Al Shamari complained to <strong>the</strong> judge
that he had confessed to <strong>the</strong> crime after being subjected to torture, however <strong>the</strong>
judge did not take this into account. Fur<strong>the</strong>r during <strong>the</strong> trial witnesses contended
that <strong>the</strong>y had been forced to give false testimony against him during <strong>the</strong>
investigative phase. At <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> communication Mr Al Shamari was at risk
<strong>of</strong> execution as his sentence had been approved by <strong>the</strong> King <strong>of</strong> Saudi Arabia
following rejections <strong>of</strong> appeals by <strong>the</strong> Court <strong>of</strong> Cassation and <strong>the</strong> Supreme Court.
Alleged imminent execution. According to <strong>the</strong> information received, on 2 October
2005, <strong>the</strong> General Court in Qurrayat in <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn province <strong>of</strong> al-Jouf, sentenced
Qassem bin Rida bin Salman al-Mahdi and Khaled bin Muhammad bin Issa al-
Qudaihi to death, while Ali Hassan Issa al-Buri received a sentence <strong>of</strong> 20 years in
prison and 4,000 lashes. The three Saudi Arabian nationals had been arrested on
suspicion <strong>of</strong> drug smuggling in July 2004. All three were reportedly coerced into
making ―confessions‖. They were fur<strong>the</strong>r denied access to a lawyer in pre-trial
detention and during <strong>the</strong>ir trial. They have exhausted all <strong>the</strong>ir appeals and could be
executed in <strong>the</strong> coming days.
14/02/2012
14/02/2012
10/09/2012
01/02/2013
01/02/2013
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>