A/HRC/18/19 10. Sri Lanka 69. In her communications report (A/HRC/16/44/Add.1), the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders expressed her concern about the reported climate of fear, including criminalization of threats and intimidation against human rights defenders, in Sri Lanka, particularly journalists and lawyers working on human rights issues. She was especially concerned at threats that may have been related to their cooperation with the Human Rights Council and special procedures mandate holders, which explains the lower number of complaints that the mandate received during the reporting period. It is my understanding that such a climate persists in the country. 11. Sudan 70. On 23 November 2010, several special procedures mandate holders sent an urgent appeal19 regarding the situation of human rights defenders, including that of Abdelrahman Mohamed Al-Gasim. 71. On 29 October 2010, Mr. Al-Gasim had been reportedly arrested by members of the National Intelligence and Security Services in Khartoum. It was alleged that Mr. Al-Gasim received threats from Sudanese officials while participating in the fifteenth session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, in September 2010. Mr. Al-Gasim lobbied for the extension of the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, and delivered a number of oral interventions before the Council on alleged human rights violations committed by the Sudanese authorities in the country. He was also a panellist in a side-event entitled “Sudan: impunity, repression and conflict on the rise”. Mr. Al-Gasim was scheduled to take part in the stakeholder’s submission on the universal periodic review of the Sudan, and was also expected to attend the forty-eighth session of the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights, in Banjul in November 2010. 72. According to information received at the time of completion of the present report, Mr. Al-Gasim is no longer in detention. 73. At the time of completion of the present report, the Government of the Sudan had not replied to this communication. C. Follow-up information on cases included in previous reports 1. Colombia 74. Regarding the assassination of Edwin Legarda, mentioned in my report on progress in reports and studies relevant to cooperation with representatives of United Nations human rights bodies of 2009,20 the delegation of Colombia indicated during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, held at the fifteenth session of the Human Rights Council, that there has been some progress in the investigation of the case. According to the delegation of Colombia, “the fight against impunity continues to be a national priority and, as such, it is encouraging to know about the recent indictment to 40 years imprisonment of seven ex-militaries as the authors of the assassination of the indigenous leader Edwin Legarda on 16 December 2008." 19 20 12 A/HRC/16/44/Add.1, paras. 2131-2136. A/HRC/10/36, para. 9.