A/HRC/19/55 were sent to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Moreover, during the reporting period, the mandate holder sent various communications with allegations that police, secret service officials and members of the security forces repeatedly summoned journalist and media workers to their offices to interrogate them (Africa 5, Asia Pacific 3, Europe and Central Asia 1, Middle East and North Africa 1). 43. Furthermore, the mandate holder has also observed common restrictions on the right to freedom of opinion and expression of journalists and media workers active on human rights issues, including (a) the use of civil and criminal defamation and libel proceedings against defenders speaking out against human rights violations; (b) the adoption of laws restricting printing and publication; and (c) the censorship, suspension, closing or banning of media outlets (A/66/203, para. 49). 44. During the reporting period, the mandate holder sent 42 communications regarding cases where journalists and media workers were subject to criminalization and the abusive use of legal frameworks (Asia Pacific 14, Middle East and North Africa 11, Africa 9, Americas 5, Europe and Central Asia 5). Since the inception of the mandate, information received indicates that often arrests and detentions of human rights defenders, including journalists and media workers, have been part of this strategy (see A/58/380). 45. In connection with the above, the mandate holder sent various communications (Middle East and North Africa 4, Europe and Central Asia 3, Africa 3, Asia Pacific 1) regarding the lack of due process and judicial guarantees, including no access to lawyers or detention without charges. Moreover, 18 communications sent during the period contained allegations that journalist and media workers were sentenced, at times heavily, due to their human rights activities (Middle East and North Africa 9, Asia Pacific 4, Africa 3, Europe and Central Asia 2). 46. These defenders were also subjected to threats, including death threats. During the period, 23 communications referred to threats in the form of letters, e-mails, phone calls and warnings by authorities (the Americas 8, Asia Pacific 7, Europe and Central Asia 4, Middle East and North Africa 2, Africa 2). More specifically, 17 communications referred to death threats (Asia Pacific 7, Americas 3, Africa 3, Europe and Central Asia 3, Middle East and North Africa 1). 47. During the period, 21 communications contained allegations of personal properties and financial assets being confiscated (Europe and Central Asia 6, Middle East and North Africa 6, Africa 4, Asia Pacific 4, Americas 2). 48. Journalists and media workers have also suffered searches of and raids on their properties, confiscation of equipment, and freezing of financial assets. The mandate holder sent 18 communications with allegations concerning searches of the houses and offices of journalists and media workers by State actors, including the confiscation of their audiovisual equipment such as cameras (Middle East and North Africa 6, Asia Pacific 5, Europe and Central Asia 4, Americas 1, Africa 2). 49. Moreover, journalists and media workers were subjected to various forms of intimidation and harassment. For instance, they faced obstacles to carrying out their work, such as the closure of their offices and newspapers; censorship on media coverage and disruption of internet connections; prohibition to freely cover protests and demonstrations; and restriction to their freedom of movement including deportation. In this respect, the mandate holder sent 11 communications on intimidation and harassment of journalists and media workers (Americas 4, Middle East and North Africa 3, Asia Pacific 2, Europe and Central Asia 1, Africa 1). In some instances, as a means of intimidating journalists and media workers, their families were also targeted (Africa 2, the Americas 1, Middle East and North Africa 1, Asia Pacific 1). 9