A/HRC/13/30 Mr. Youssef Mahmoud Chaabane (Opinion No. 10/2007, Lebanon)12 was released following a presidential pardon after more than 15 years in prison. 5. Communications giving rise to urgent appeals 25. During the period from 1 December 2008 to 15 November 2009, the Working Group transmitted 138 urgent appeals to 58 States (including the Palestinian National Authority) concerning 844 individuals (765 men, 50 women and 29 boys). In conformity with paragraphs 22 to 24 of its methods of work,13 the Working Group, without prejudging whether the detention was arbitrary, drew the attention of each of the States concerned to the specific case as reported, and appealed to them to take the necessary measures to ensure that the detained persons’ right to life and to physical integrity were respected. 26. The Working Group emphasizes that the transmission of an urgent appeal to the concerned State on a humanitarian basis does not exclude the transmission of the same case pursuant to its regular procedure leading to the adoption of an Opinion. According to its methods of work, the two communications procedures are distinct, as in the former case the Working Group does not take a stance on the question as to whether or not the detention of the individual(s) concerned is arbitrary. Only in an Opinion does the Working Group take a definite decision on the case, declaring the detention arbitrary or not, or taking any other appropriate decision in accordance with paragraph 17 of its methods of work. Accordingly, States are requested to provide separate replies to each of the communications. 27. During the period under review, 138 urgent appeals were transmitted by the Working Group as follows. Table 2 Urgent appeals transmitted to Governments by the Working Group Number of urgent appeals Persons concerned Algeria 1 7 men, 1 woman Bahrain 1 18 men, 1 boy Belarus 1 1 man Government concerned 12 13 GE.10-10294 Cambodia 1 30 men Chad 1 1 man China 14 32 men, 2 women Colombia 1 1 man Cuba 1 1 woman Czech Republic 2 2 men Democratic Republic of Korea 1 2 women Democratic Republic of the Congo 4 5 men, 1 woman, 10 boys Ecuador 1 1 man Egypt 6 34 men, 8 women Equatorial Guinea 2 3 men Persons released/information received from 1 man (source) 4 men (source) 2 women (source) 1 man (Government) 1 man (source) A/HRC/7/4/Add.1, p. 81. E/CN.4/1998/44, annex I. 11