A/HRC/17/28*
C.
Press releases 1
7.
On 31 December 2010, the Special Rapporteur issued a joint press statement
concerning allegations of enforced or involuntary disappearances, arbitrary detentions,
extrajudicial executions, and acts of sexual violence following the presidential elections in
Côte d’Ivoire. Another joint statement was released on 1 April 2011, expressing support for
Security Council resolution 1975 (2011) condemning these violations.
8.
A number of joint press statements concerning excessive use of force against, and
the killing and/or injuring of, protestors have been released, including on 22 March 2011
concerning Bahrain; 18 March 2011 regarding Yemen; 22 February 2011 on violations in
Libya; 18 February 2011 violations in Bahrain and Libya; and 14 January 2010 concerning
Tunisia. On 3 February 2011, a joint press statement was released expressing concern at the
general violations of rights and excessive use of force against protestors, with specific
mention of Belarus, Egypt and Tunisia.
9.
The Special Rapporteur addressed the killings of individuals in joint press releases,
including on 2 March 2011 concerning Pakistani Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz
Bhatti; and 9 June 2010 concerning human rights defender, Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In a joint press release dated 2 February 2011, the
Special Rapporteurs expressed concern at the increased carrying out of death sentences in
Iran, and called for a moratorium on the death penalty in that country.
D.
International and national meetings
10.
The Special Rapporteur participated in a seminar on targeted killing organized by
the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva, in September 2010. He gave
presentations on the work of the mandate at the Universities of the Witwatersrand and
Pretoria during March 2011.
E.
Sri Lanka video
11.
The Special Rapporteur conducted a technical assessment to establish the
authenticity of a video allegedly showing the execution of Tamil prisoners by Sri Lankan
troops during the civil war. The urgent appeal sent to the Government on the case and
forensic reports of the assessment are reproduced in (A/HRC/17/28./Add.1).
1
4
Press releases of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions available at
http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/NewsSearch.aspx?MID=SR_Summ_Executions.
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