Date
Type
Case No
Country
Mandate(s)
Summary of the allegation transmitted
PAK 6/2014
05/05/2014 Pakistan
JAL
Food; Health;
Minority issues;
Water and
Sanitation;
Alleged death of at least 132 children in the Thar desert, Tharparkar district, Sindh
province as a result of malnutrition. According to the information received, severe and
chronic food and water shortages due to drought and extreme poverty are the principal
causes of death. The majority of victims reportedly belong to the minority Dalit
community. Reports suggest that the crisis has been exacerbated by insufficient
investment in healthcare facilities with long standing vacancies in Government run
hospitals and health centres, as well as a lack of female doctors, limiting the provision
of adequate medical services. Undue delays on the part of the authorities to react to
the crisis have reportedly resulted in the Sindh provincial Government being accused
by the Supreme Court of failing to fully report the facts, highlighting its failure to
distribute sixty thousand bags of wheat flour allocated to the region in December
2013.
SAU 6/2014
05/05/2014 Saudi Arabia
JUA
Arbitrary
detention;
Freedom of
expression;
Freedom of
peaceful assembly
and of association;
Freedom of
religion; Human
rights defenders;
Torture;
Alleged arbitrary detention of a human rights defender for his participation in a
peaceful protest in 2009 calling for an end to discrimination against the Shi’a Muslim
community, and for his reports of such discrimination. According to the information
received, on 17 April 2014, the Specialized Court in Riyadh convicted Mr. Fadhel
Maki Al Manasif, human rights activist and member of the Arab Institute for Human
Rights, to 15 years imprisonment, a subsequent 15-year travel ban and a fine of
100,000 Saudi Riyals (about 26,700 USD). The charges against Mr. Al Manasif
included “breaking allegiance to the ruler”, “stirring sedition and sectarian division
between citizens by inciting protests and marches”, “communicating with foreign
media to harm the Government, its people and national unity” and “founding a banned
association”. Mr. Al Manasif has reportedly appealed the decision of the Court, of
which the final judgment is expected on 8 May 2014. Mr. Al Manasif was the subject
of two earlier communications sent on 12 May 2011, see A/HRC/18/51, case no. SAU
5/2011, and 12 July 2012, see A/HRC/22/67, case no. SAU 9/2012.
Reply
A/HRC/27/72
53
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