08/02/2016 AL 08/02/2016 JUA Case No Country Mandate(s) Summary of the allegation transmitted Reply CHN 2/2016 Discrimination China (People's against women; Republic of) 28/02/2016 Letter concerning the forced closure of the Zhongze Women’s Legal Counseling and Service Centre in Beijing. Further to its country visit conducted from 12 to 19 December 2013 and exchanges of a previous follow-up letter, the Working Group on Discrimination against Women, as part of a continuing dialogue, inquires about the closure, as of 1 February 2016 upon the receipt of an order from the Government, of the Zhongze Women’s Legal Counseling and Service Center - a leading women’s legal aid centre in Beijing. The previous letter was sent on 28 April 2015, see A/HRC/31/79, case no. CHN 3/2015. EGY 1/2016 Egypt Alleged arbitrary arrest and detention of two journalists for the exercise of their right to freedom of expression and association. According to the information received, on 21 October 2015, the Mada Foundation for Media Development, a non-governmental organization that provides training to local journalists, was raided and Mr. Hisham Ahmed Awad Jafar, its Head and a journalist, was arrested and detained in solitary confinement. He reportedly still remains in solitary confinement without being informed of the charges filed against him and without access to his family. On 29 November 2015, Mr. Ismail Alexandrani, a freelance investigative journalist and academic, was arrested upon his arrival at Hurghada Airport and detained. He was interrogated twice without access to a lawyer and remains in detention without being informed of the charges filed against him. Grave concern is expressed at the alleged motivation for the arrest and detention of Mr. Jafar and of Mr. Alexandrani, which seems to be directly linked to their legitimate exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association. Arbitrary detention; Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Independence of judges and lawyers; Torture; A/HRC/32/53 60 Date Type