A/HRC/39/19 economic crimes such as corruption 76 and bribery, 77 digging at ancient cultural sites and reselling cultural relics,78 smuggling or the adulteration of food,79 kidnapping,80 apostasy and crimes of blasphemy.81 21. In August 2016, special procedure mandate holders condemned charges that carried the death penalty brought against human rights activists in the Sudan which “appear to be directly linked to their work in the defence of human rights, while exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association”.82 22. Several States, including Bangladesh, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq, also used the death penalty for terrorism-related crimes. The Human Rights Committee recommended that Bangladesh ensure that the death penalty was not imposed for offences, such as the financing of terrorism, which did not constitute the “most serious crimes”.83 In 2016, the High Commissioner denounced mass executions in the Islamic Republic of Iran for purported terrorism-related offences, stating that the “application of overly broad and vague criminal charges, coupled with a disdain for the rights of the accused to due process and a fair trial have in these cases led to a grave injustice”.84 The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions noted that in Iraq, the Anti-Terrorism Law was overly broad and the “list of crimes for which the death penalty is mandatory includes acts whose gravity falls below the threshold of ‘most serious crimes’ necessary to impose such a sentence under international norms”.85 The Special Rapporteur also noted that some countries had defined terrorist offences very broadly and included non-violent acts or acts that would not constitute the “most serious crimes” punishable by death. 86 On the 2016 World Day Against the Death Penalty, special procedure mandate holders reminded States that “the imposition of the death penalty is an ineffective deterrent for terrorism, and most times it is also an unlawful one”.87 23. Consensual same-sex conduct is punishable by death in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and Yemen, and parts of Nigeria and Somalia. 88 The Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity stated that the “imposition of the death penalty for offences related to homosexuality violates the right to life” as it they do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes”.89 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 For example, China (www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT5079552018 ENGLISH.PDF, p. 10); Viet Nam (see CCPR/C/VNM/3, para. 67); and Thailand (see CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, para. 17). For example, Thailand (see CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, para. 17). For example, China (www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT5079552018ENGLISH.PDF, p. 10). For example, Bangladesh (see CCPR/C/BGD/CO/1, para. 23). For example, Iraq (www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT5079552018ENGLISH.PDF, p. 10). For example, Pakistan (see CCPR/C/PAK/CO/1, para. 17 and CRC/C/PAK/CO/5, para. 30, and submission from Justice Project Pakistan. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20435&LangID=E; and UA SDN 6/2016 (https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=3326). See CCPR/C/BGD/CO/1, para. 10. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20344&LangID=E; and A/HRC/34/40, para. 11. See A/HRC/38/44/Add.1, para. 47. See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20800&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20659&. See A/HRC/38/43, para. 51. See A/72/172, para. 32. 9