Case No
Country
Mandate(s)
Summary of the allegation transmitted
Reply
MWI 2/2015
09/02/2015 Malawi
JUA
Freedom of
expression;
Freedom of
peaceful assembly
and of association;
Human rights
defenders;
Allegations of threats, intimidation and acts of defamation against two human rights
defenders and their organizations. According to the information received, Mr.
MacDonald Sembereka, National Coordinator of the Malawi Network of Religious
Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS (MANERELA+), a
network of religious leaders aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination against
persons living with HIV/AIDS, and Mr. Gift Trapence, Executive Director of the
Centre for the Development of People(CEDEP), a human rights organization working
on the rights of groups at risk, received anonymous threatening phone calls as a result
of their legitimate human rights activities and their role in the organization of peaceful
demonstrations which took place throughout the country on 13 January 2015. The
premises of CEDEP and MANERELA+ were broken into in 2014 and in the
beginning of 2015 respectively and computers belonging to CEDEP were stolen. Mr.
Sembereka, Mr. Trapence, and their respective organizations became the subject of a
smear media campaign. Mr. Sembereka was the subject of a previous communication
sent on 10 October 2011, see A/HRC/19/44, case no. MWI 4/2011.
MDA 1/2015
10/02/2015 Republic of
JUA
Moldova
Freedom of
expression;
Freedom of
peaceful assembly
and of association;
Freedom of
religion;
Alleged violation of the rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association, 30/03/2015
and freedom of expression of the members of two spiritual associations. According to
the information received, in December 2013 and January 2014, Buiucani Court and
Chisinau’s Commercial Court received a complaint accusing Falun Dafa and Qigong
Falun Gong Moldova, two associations that share the same beliefs and practice of
Chinese spiritual discipline, of being extremist organizations, requesting their emblem
consisting of one large and four small “sauwastika” symbols be banned and both
associations dissolved. On 20 January 2014, Buiucani Court issued a decision banning
the organizations’ emblem and, on 18 April 2014, Chisinau’s Commercial Court
ordered the dissolution and liquidation of both organizations. Appeals lodged before
the Chisinau Court of Appeal, in April and July 2014, by the two organizations, as
well as Moldova’s Ministry of Justice, were dismissed and, on 28 January 2015, the
Supreme Court ordered the inclusion of the associations’ emblem in the State Registry
of Extremist Materials. The Supreme Court is set to deliberate on the dissolution of
Falun Dafa and Qigong Falun Gong Moldova on 11 February 2015.
A/HRC/29/50
52
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