A/HRC/18/19
80.
The Special Rapporteur also stressed that the status of the investigation into the
killing of the two defenders remains inconclusive. Recently, the Prime Minister made a
public statement requesting that the investigation into the killings should resume. The
Special Rapporteur further highlighted that it was important that the Government follow up
on its public statements with action.
81.
During the interactive dialogue with the current Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, at the seventeenth session of the Human
Rights Council, the delegation of Kenya recalled that the Government had rejected the
report of the previous mandate holder, Philip Alston, on his mission to Kenya.
5.
Mauritania
82.
With regard to the case of Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid mentioned in my previous
report,28 the Government of Mauritania responded, in a letter dated 4 May 2010,29 to the
allegation letter of 22 February 2010 sent by several special rapporteurs.
83.
In its response, the Government of Mauritania stated that the Chairperson of the
National Commission of Human Rights had requested the Ministry of the Interior and
Decentralization to extend the professional passport of Mr. Ould Dah Ould Abeid, then
member of the Commission. However, the request was turned down because, as it was
considered that Mr. Ould Dah Ould Abeid’s trip was for private purposes only, no travel
authorization was issued by the Secretary-General of the Government for the trip. The
Government also stated that Mr. Ould Dah Ould Abeid was working for the Initiative for
the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement in Mauritania, an illegal organization in
Mauritania, given that it has no legal existence in Mauritanian law. Despite this fact, the
authorities said that Mr. Ould Dah Ould Abeid has always been able to travel on behalf of
his organization without encountering any problem. The Government of Mauritania added
that these allegations were unfounded.
84.
Mr. Ould Dah Ould Abeid was the subject of two other communications, sent on 27
April30 and 29 December 2010.31 The Government responded to the latter on 10 February
2011.32
6.
Myanmar
85.
With regard to the cases of Tin Min Htut and U Nyi Pu included in my previous
report,33 the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, at its fifty-seventh session, adopted
Opinion No.4/2010 on these two individuals, finding their detention arbitrary under
categories II and III of the categories applicable to the consideration of the cases submitted
to the Working Group. The Working Group found their detention to be in contravention of
articles 9, 10, 11 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Body of
Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.
The Working Group noted in its Opinion the roles of Mr. Htut and Mr. Pu as human rights
defenders and that their detention and conviction were allegedly in relation to their acts of
informing the United Nations about human rights violations. The Working Group also
called on the Government to take the necessary steps to immediately release the individuals
concerned and provide adequate reparations. The Opinion was adopted on 5 May 2010.
28
A/HRC/14/19, paras. 37 and 38.
See A/HRC/16/44/Add.1, paras. 1519-1527.
30
Ibid., paras. 1528-1532.
31
A/HRC/17/30/Add.1, paras. 822-828.
32
Ibid., paras. 829-846.
33
A/HRC/14/19, para. 39.
29
14
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