A/HRC/8/25 Page 10 31. The United States of America noted that prisons throughout the United Kingdom are overcrowded and there have been allegations that the number of inmate suicides has increased. It asked what steps the United Kingdom has taken or plans to take to improve conditions in the prisons and address the underlying reasons for the increase in suicides among prisoners. 32. Canada referred to the right to privacy and its implications for freedom of expression and in the light of new surveillance technology such as facial recognition and finger printing, and asked for guidance on the policy of the United Kingdom in this regard. With regard to the rights of the elderly, Canada noted the absence of prohibition of discrimination on grounds of age with regard to facilities and services, and recommended to the United Kingdom to provide more care and attention to the rights of the elderly. With regard to sexual orientation as a ground for asylum-seeking, Canada recommended to the United Kingdom to follow the Council of the European Union “Asylum Qualification Directive” in future cases. 33. Switzerland referred to the 2006 amended Terrorism Act, and recommended that United Kingdom strengthen guarantees associated with police custody, and not to extend but to shorten the length of time of pretrial detentions. With regard to the armed forces of the United Kingdom abroad, it noted the report of the United Kingdom that its obligations on human rights “may” apply and that the applicable provisions of the ECHR need to be qualified to take into account decisions of Security Council resolutions under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Switzerland recommended that the United Kingdom consider that any person detained by armed forces is under the jurisdiction of that State, which should respect its obligations concerning the human rights of such individuals. It also requested clarification on the interrelation between resolutions of the Security Council and those on human rights applicable to armed forces abroad. On human rights education, Switzerland noted interest in obtaining copies of the educational materials referred to in paragraph 76 of the State report. 34. The Islamic Republic of Iran noted the concerns expressed by various human rights mechanisms about a series of human rights violations in the United Kingdom, including with regard to the increasing racial prejudice against ethnic minorities, asylum-seekers and immigrants, the increase in the incidence of domestic violence, including sexual violence against children within families, schools and detention centres. It also noted concerns expressed at the disproportionately high number of “stop and searches” carried out by police against members of ethnic or racial minorities, and the “profiling” in counter-terrorism efforts by the Government officials as well as the abuse of counter-terrorism laws which are perceived to target the Muslim population. It noted concerns at the grave situation of journalists and human rights defenders in Northern Ireland, including cases of death threats, arrests and detention, and cases of attacks on Muslim graves. The Islamic Republic of Iran asked about the concrete measures taken by the United Kingdom to address the said deteriorating human rights situation. 35. Germany referred to CERD, which had commended the United Kingdom in 2003 and welcomed its legislation on incitement to racial hatred, which had contributed to the peaceful coexistence of persons from many different cultures and origins. It expressed gratitude to the United Kingdom for having granted asylum to asylum-seekers during the 1930s. It referred to the recommendation by CERD with regard to section 19 (d) of the Race Relations Amendment Act, which made it lawful for officials to discriminate on the basis of origin or nationality, and asked if the United Kingdom had acted upon the recommendation made by CERD in this regard. 36. The United Kingdom identified questions asked under six themes. Firstly, regarding the actions of its armed forces overseas, it stated that human rights obligations are primarily territorial, owed by the United Kingdom to persons within the United Kingdom. ECHR applies only in very