A/HRC/4/58 page 8 16. Concerns were expressed that the detention of the two men and the charges against them were related to their involvement in a peaceful protest on 23 August 2006, to draw attention to a bomb attack which had occurred in Krishna on 16 August. It was further alleged that their detention could be associated with the lawyers’ recent participation in various United Nations international forums such as the New York Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues as well as the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, in Geneva. 17. The source subsequently informed that both men were released on 4 October 2006. 18. Maldives. On 10 August 2006, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief wrote to the Government of the Maldives after she visited the country in August 2006. The Special Rapporteur informed the Government that many of the interlocutors she met during her mission were fearful of addressing certain issues related to her mandate and concerned about possible reprisals. She further asked the Government to take the appropriate measures in order to ensure the safety of the persons she met during her visit. 19. Moldova. On 19 July 2006, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders sent an urgent appeal to the Government of Moldova regarding Ana Ursachi and Roman Zadoinov, two lawyers closely working with human rights organizations on torture cases. According to the information received, Ana Ursachi and Roman Zadoinov were the lawyers of Mr. Kolibaba and Mr. Gurgurov, two persons who alleged having been tortured by the police during detention. The latter two were the subject of two communications by various Special Rapporteurs on 23 November 2005 and 10 May 2006. 20. On 26 June 2006, the General Prosecutor reportedly wrote a letter to the National Bar Association accusing Ms. Ursachi, and Mr. Zadoinov of misuse of position, a charge that bears a maximum prison sentence of five years or a fine. In his letter, the General Prosecutor referred to the urgent appeals issued in the cases of Mr. Kolibaba and Mr. Gurgurov and claimed that there was no evidence of torture in either case. He blamed the irresponsible and unfounded oppositional behaviour of the lawyers and asked the Bar Association to ensure that they use all possible means at their disposal to prevent further damage to the interests of the State. On 28 June 2006, both lawyers were informed that they faced criminal prosecutions for spreading false information about human rights violations in Moldova. 21. Reports indicate that both Ana Ursachi and Roman Zadoinov were released from jail. It is alleged that the General Prosecutor also wrote a letter to the NGO responsible for releasing an urgent appeal about their case on 9 March 2006 in which it stated that the version of events given in the urgent appeal did not correspond to the reality, and that it gave a bad image of the State. At the end of May 2006, the General Prosecutor’s Office informed that no criminal case would be started against the police officers accused of torture in these two cases. 22. Concerns were expressed that the letter to the Bar Association of Moldova was a deliberate attempt to intimidate Ana Ursachi and Roman Zadoinov and to prevent them and other lawyers in Moldova from carrying out their lawful professional activities for the protection of human rights, and for having cooperated with the United Nations human rights mechanisms.