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

Date
Type
17/10/2012
JUA
18/10/2012
JAL
18/10/2012
JUA
Case No
Country Mandate(s) Summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allegation transmitted Reply
JOR 2/2012
Jordan
ARM 1/2012
Armenia
BLR 4/2012
Belarus
Disappearances;
Torture;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
religion; Minority
issues;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
expression;
Freedom <strong>of</strong>
peaceful assembly
and <strong>of</strong> association;
Human rights
defenders;
Alleged forcible return to Jordan and imminent threat <strong>of</strong> torture. According to <strong>the</strong>
information received, Mr. Ashraf Mohammad Yousef Abdulsalam was arrested
and tortured at <strong>the</strong> GID headquarters in Amman, Jordan in 2010. He later joined
his family and took residence in Bahrain. On 25 September 2012, he was arrested
in Bahrain and allegedly forcibly returned to Jordan without fur<strong>the</strong>r information
being provided to his family on his fate or whereabouts in spite <strong>of</strong> requests <strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong>.
Alleged continued prosecution, conviction and imprisonment <strong>of</strong> Jehovah‘s
Witnesses for <strong>the</strong>ir conscientious objection to military service in Armenia.
According to <strong>the</strong> information received, <strong>the</strong>re are more than 40 conscientious
objectors in Armenian prisons. Fur<strong>the</strong>r 29 conscientious objectors have been
reportedly convicted and/or prosecuted since July 2011. In February 2012, appeals
were filed on behalf <strong>of</strong> 52 conscientious objectors requesting <strong>the</strong>ir immediate
release and <strong>the</strong> clearance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir criminal records, but <strong>the</strong> Cassation Court
allegedly rejected all. <strong>23</strong> new conscientious objectors have been called to perform
military service in 2012. On 7 May 2012, an application was submitted to <strong>the</strong>
Government requesting that <strong>the</strong>ir call-up be postponed until genuine alternative
civilian service is <strong>of</strong>fered to conscientious objectors. The application was
reportedly ignored and criminal prosecutions were launched in some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se
cases.
Alleged arbitrary closure <strong>of</strong> a human rights association. According to <strong>the</strong>
information received, on 9 October 2012, <strong>the</strong> Minsk economic court decided to
close down <strong>the</strong> association Platforma, on <strong>the</strong> basis that it had allegedly missed a
deadline for submitting tax declarations and failed to notify <strong>the</strong> tax inspection <strong>of</strong>
its move to a new <strong>of</strong>fice. It is reported that <strong>the</strong> organization had submitted all
papers to <strong>the</strong> tax inspection authority in due time and has not moved to any new
<strong>of</strong>fice; it has <strong>the</strong>refore not failed to comply with <strong>the</strong> legal requirements. It is
fur<strong>the</strong>r reported that Platforma has been repeatedly subjected to acts <strong>of</strong> harassment
and reprisals over <strong>the</strong> past months, in particular since its representatives
participated in <strong>the</strong> 47th session <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> UN Committee against Torture in November
2011.
18/01/2013
24/12/2012
31/10/2012
22/01/2013
A/<strong>HRC</strong>/<strong>23</strong>/<strong>51</strong>
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