A/HRC/45/20 lower courts are required to discuss with the judicial committee of the Supreme People’s Court specified cases where the death penalty is a possible sentence.128 36. During the reporting period, the Secretary-General noted that the use of capital punishment remained a troubling aspect of the criminal justice system in South Sudan, in particular in light of the limited ability of the justice system to fully comply with minimum due process and fair trial safeguards.129 The High Commissioner and United Nations human rights mechanisms expressed concern over the lack of fair trial in certain death penalty cases in Bahrain,130 Belarus,131 China,132 Egypt,133 Iran (Islamic Republic of),134 Iraq,135 Viet Nam, 136 Saudi Arabia 137 and Yemen. 138 The High Commissioner also highlighted the situation of individuals around the world whose poverty made them especially vulnerable to injustice generated by failures in justice systems and the rule of law. 139 United Nations mandate holders highlighted that most women and girls on death row came from backgrounds of severe socioeconomic deprivation and many were illiterate, which had a devastating impact on their ability to participate in their own defence and to obtain effective legal representation.140 37. Some death sentences have reportedly been imposed on the basis of confessions obtained under duress or torture. The Human Rights Committee was concerned about such allegations in Bahrain, 141 and the High Commissioner and mandate holders called on Bahrain to prevent a number of executions for such reasons. 142 The Committee against Torture raised similar concerns143 in relation to Viet Nam, as did mandate holders regarding Egypt144 and Iran (Islamic Republic of).145 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 Ibid. S/2019/722, para. 62. See https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24236; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25543. CCPR/C/BLR/CO/5, para. 27 (a); Ivanov v. Belarus (CCPR/C/126/D/2655/2015); Yakovitsky and Yakovitskaya v. Belarus (CCPR/C/128/D/2789/2016). See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25454&LangID=E; A/HRC/WGAD/2019/72. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23572&LangID=E. A/HRC/43/61, paras. 4 and 47; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23512&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IQ/UNAMI_Report_HRAdministrationJustice_Iraq_28January 2020.pdf. CCPR/C/VNM/CO/3, para. 23. See https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24633; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23795& A/HRC/WGAD/2019/26; A/HRC/WGAD/2019/56. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24816&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23631; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DeathPenaltyIsABane.aspx. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23705&LangID=E. CCPR/C/BHR/CO/1, para. 31. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24863&LangID=E; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25543; www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=24635; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24855&LangID=E; https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25052. CAT/C/VNM/CO/1, para. 28. A/HRC/WGAD/2019/65; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24204. See also www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24195&LangID=E. A/HRC/WGAD/2019/32. 11