A/HRC/44/50/Add.4 EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REGION Kzrgzyztan 94. OL 09/03/2020 Case no: KGZ 1/2020 State reply: none to date Allegations Information received concerning draft law No. 6-28018/19 which introduces amendments to the Law on Non-Commercial Organizations (Law on NCOs). Russian Federation 95. JAL 14/01/2019 translated yet Case no: RUS 9/2019 State reply:30/03/2020 not Information received concerning raids, seizures of property, prosecution, dissolution and interdiction relating to the human rights NGOs ‘Justice Initiative’, ‘Memorial’, ‘Center of Support for the Indigenous Peoples of the North’,‘People in Need' and ‘Siberia without Torture’. Turkey 96. JAL 11/02/2020 Case no: TUR 1/2020 State reply: 09/04/2020 Information received concerning alleged excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators at the Pride Marches that took place on the campus of the Middle East Technical University on 10 May 2019, as well as alleged arbitrary arrest, detention and prosecution against them. Responses to communications 97. The Special Rapporteur sent 10 communications to 7 countries in the Europe and Central Asia region during the present reporting period, of which 9 received replies, marking a response rate of 81 per cent for those communications where replies were requested. This marks a slight decrease in comparison to the previous reporting period. The Special Rapporteur hopes to receive replies to the two outstanding communications soon. Freedom of peaceful assembly 98. This report provides observations to a communication sent by the Special Rapporteur concerning the right to freedom of peaceful assembly to Turkey, during the reporting period. 99. The Special Rapporteur raised his concerns with regards to alleged violations of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in the context of a planned Pride March at the Middle East Tehcnical University (METU) in Turkey on 10 May 2019 (TUR 1/2020). The METU LGBTI+ Solidarity Club announced that the 9th METU Pride March would take place at 17:30 on 10 May 2019. Reports alleged that on 6 May 2019, the university rector sent an email to all students, graduates, and faculty members, informing them that the Rectorate was prohibiting the event, referring to the ban on LGBTI events in Ankara, issued by the Ankara Governor's office on 3 October 2018. On 10 May 2019 at 13:00, police forces entered the campus, and surrounded the area where the march was planned to start. Participants to the Pride March gathered under a sunshade at 14:00 and raised a rainbow flag. Shortly after, more than 50 police officers in riot gear surrounded them to form a barricade, forcing students to take down the sunshade and evacuate the area. At 15:00, hundreds of police officers surrounded students who were sitting around the area, even though they were not holding flags or banners. The crowd dispersed and at 16:30, but participants gathered once more shorty after. The police reportedly charged the demonstrators without warning, and dispersed the crowd using pepper spray, tear gas and plastic bullets. 22 people were arrested and released later that day, including 21 students and one professor. Shortly afterwards, the university opened administrative investigations against the students who participated in the March. 19 persons who had been arrested were notified in August 2019 that criminal cases had been opened against them for “participating in an unlawful assembly” and “resisting despite warning”. The first court hearing took place in November 2019, a later one set for March 2020 was postponed. The Special Rapporteur had voiced his serious concern at alleged excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention, and prosecution against individuals exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and of expression to 22