Case No
Country
Mandate(s)
Summary of the allegation transmitted
Reply
22/03/11 SAU 2/2011
JUA
Saudi Arabia
Arbitrary
detention;
Freedom of
expression;
Torture
Alleged detention of protesters. According to the information received, on 4 March 2011,
Mr. Muhammad al-Wad’ani, a 25 year-old teacher, was arrested in Riyadh by men in plain
clothes, allegedly members of the General Intelligence, while participating in a protest. Other
individuals who participated in the protest were allegedly also arrested. Reportedly, 24 men
were detained on 3 and 4 March in connection with protests in the city of al-Qatif. They were
subsequently released on 8 March 2011, without charge and allegedly only after having
signed a pledge not to protest again. Mr. al-Wad’ani reportedly continued to be detained
incommunicado, and is believed to be at risk of torture or ill-treatment.
23/03/11 BRA 1/2011
JUA
Brazil
Human rights
defenders;
Summary
executions;
Torture
Alleged killing of human rights defender and death threats against his family. According
to the information received, Mr. Sebastião Bezerra de Silva was the coordinator of the westcentral branch of the National Human Rights Movement and a member of the Tocantins
Human Rights Commission. Mr. de Silva was reportedly involved in investigating the use of
extrajudicial executions, torture and other forms of ill-treatment by members of the Brazilian
police force and security authorities. On 28 February 2011, the body of Mr. de Silva was
reportedly discovered on a farm in the municipality of Dueré, Tocantins State. An
examination of the body reportedly revealed that Mr. de Silva had been subjected to torture
before he was killed. In the period preceding his disappearance, Mr. de Silva and his family
allegedly received numerous death threats via telephone.
23/03/11 RUS 2/2011
JUA
Russian
Federation
Arbitrary
detention;
Independence
of judges and
lawyers;
Torture
Alleged torture of a detainee. According to the information received, Mr. Rasul Kudaev was 11/05/11
arrested on 23 October 2005 on suspicion of involvement in an armed attack on the
Government in Nalchik, and had since been held in a pre-trial detention center. Due to alleged
inadequate medical care and repeated acts of torture, Mr. Kudaev’s health rapidly
deteriorated. He had allegedly never received an independent medical examination, despite
repeated requests. Since 4 March 2011, in the course of resettling detainees to a new building,
a wide crackdown on detainees reportedly took place. Mr. Kudaev was reportedly beaten for
breaking the rules and disobeying orders of staff, and was placed in a punishment cell on 11
March 2011. Mr. Kudaev together with seven other defendants was the subject of an urgent
appeal sent by the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 27 May
2004.
A/HRC/18/51
74
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