A/HRC/35/23/Add.2
14. Of all communications sent to States, 17 received a substantive response, 18 received
responses that addressed some substantive issues, eight received acknowledgements of
receipt that were not followed by a substantive reply, and one is in translation. As
mentioned above, 54 communications did not receive any type of response.
Number and type of responses
Substantive responses 17
Some substantive responses 18
Acknowledgements of receipt 8
Waiting for translation 1
15. The tabulation of communications sent during the reporting period indicates the
groups of people addressed in the communications sent by the Special Rapporteur. The
main groups of people addressed in the communications (by number of communications
sent) were: human rights defenders (30), protesters (9), prisoners (5), journalists, bloggers
or writers (7), indigenous community (3), persons belonging to minorities (3), political
activists (4), lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people (2), persons with
albinism (1). Additionally, 29 communications were sent concerning individuals who did
not belong to any particular group.
16. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that again in this reporting period human rights
defenders feature as the group most frequently addressed in communications sent by the
mandate. She recalls that States have the responsibility to ensure that human rights
defenders are able to conduct their work without risks or threats to their life. States play a
vital role in not only respecting and protecting the rights of human rights defenders but also
in establishing preventive measures to avoid risk or harm, and in ensuring effective
accountability. Moreover, States should consider the extent to which their own public
response to the work of human rights defenders may be inciting violence against defenders,
legitimizing a climate in which attacks can be perpetrated with impunity, or perceived as
condoning such violence. As mentioned in the last reporting period, the level of
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