A/HRC/45/53 in El Fasher, North Darfur, had been harassed and threatened with arrest by officers of the Military Intelligence. The actions of the Military Intelligence were in response to an investigative report published on 26 May by Ms. Awad, together with human rights defender and journalist Aida Abdelgader, in which they exposed the dire health situation in El Fasher owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 27 March, the Ministry of Health of North Darfur, for which Ms. Awad works, published a statement describing the information in the report as disinformation and established an investigative committee. The decision was later overturned when the Ministry filed a complaint against Ms. Awad to the Informatics Offences Prosecution Office in El Fasher. As of the time of writing, the case was still before the Office and a decision was yet to be made. Ms. Awad and Ms. Abdelgader continue to fear for their lives, given the ongoing threats and intimidation from unknown individuals, who are suspected to be affiliated with the Military Intelligence. The Minister of Culture and Information made a public statement on 31 May on the Ministry’s Facebook page, reporting that he had contacted the two defenders to show support. He also noted that he had called the Governor of North Darfur to follow up on the news regarding the alleged harassment of the journalists by security forces for publishing media articles on the health situation in North Darfur. He also advised against the involvement of security forces in cases regarding allegations of the spread of false information, a matter that should be dealt through legal means. E. National Human Rights Commission 43. The National Human Rights Commission was established in January 2012 and opened in 2015. Since then, the Commission continues to open its field offices throughout the country and to hear complaints. 44. The constitutional document provides for the formation of a national human rights commission, among the 12 independent thematic commissions, in conformity with principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). According to credible sources, a draft law proposing to abolish the existing national human rights commission and form a new commission has been submitted by the Minister of Justice to the Council of Ministers. The Independent Expert urges the Government to follow participatory inclusive consultations on reforming the existing national human rights commission in compliance with the Paris Principles and best practices. The Independent Expert also urges the Government to seek technical advice from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on this matter. F. Women’s rights 45. Women in the Sudan were at the forefront of the peaceful protest. They were also among the primary victims of violence, including human rights violations and sexual violence, during the course of protest and the reporting period. The Independent Expert commends the great emphasis the constitutional document places on women’s rights. Article 7 (7) provides for assurances to guarantee and promote women’s rights in the Sudan in all social, political and economic fields, and to combat all forms of discrimination against women, taking into account provisional preferential measures in both war and peace. Article 48 expands women’s rights provisions by stating that all women’s rights enshrined in international and regional treaties ratified by the Sudan will be recognized and protected by the State. 46. The Independent Expert welcomes bold steps taken by the Government to reform existing laws to ensure the protection of women’s rights, including the repeal of the Public Order Law14 in November 2019. The law has governed, among others, women’s presence in public spaces in a discriminatory way, resulting in many women being arbitrarily 14 The Public Order Law is not a national law, but rather a group of state-level laws issued by state legislative councils. 9