Date Type Case No Country Mandate(s) Summary of the allegation transmitted Reply PAK 4/2012 27/03/2012 Pakistan JUA Freedom of religion; Independence of judges and lawyers; Minority issues; Violence against women; Alleged abduction, forced marriage and forced conversion to Islam of a seventeenyear-old Hindu girl in Pakistan. According to the information received, Ms. X was abducted from her home on 24 February 2012, by Mr. Y and other armed men, including Mr. Z. Allegedly, she was held in custody in the residence of Mr. A, a member of the National Assembly. On 25 February 2012, Ms. X pleaded before a civil judge in Ghotki court to return home to her parents, she testified that she had been kidnapped and forced to change her religion against her will. On 27 February 2012, Ms. X again appeared in court but in Mathelo. During this second hearing, Ms. X was under pressure and changed her statement. The civil judge announced that she has embraced Islam and that she would be in the custody of Mr. Y. Since the court‟s announcement, Ms. X‟s whereabouts remained unknown to her family. 12/07/2012 PNG 1/2012 27/03/2012 Papua New AL Guinea Independence of judges Alleged acts of intimidation against the Chief Justice, and other alleged attempts to and lawyers; curtail the independence of the judiciary. According to the information received, the Chief Justice, Mr. Salamo Injia, was arrested on 8 March 2012. Reportedly, on 2 August 2011, there was a change of Government and appointment of a new Prime Minister, Peter O‟Neill, which followed four months of absence by the Prime Minister Michael Somare on medical grounds and intense political debate around leadership of the country. A special Supreme Court reference was reportedly filed challenging Mr. O‟Neill‟s Government for not being constitutionally formed nor legitimate. On 12 December 2011, the Supreme Court reportedly ruled 3-2 in favour of the reinstatement of Mr. Michael Somare as Prime Minister and made a declaration that Mr. O‟Neill‟s Government was unconstitutional. The Chief Justice was reportedly part of the majority bench. It is further reported that, in this context, the Parliament passed, on 21 March 2012, a Judicial Conduct Bill, which presented elements of concern with respect to the independence of the judiciary vis-à-vis the legislative and executive powers. A/HRC/21/49 19

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