A/HRC/16/26 disregard for procedural rules pertaining to the handling of evidence, the basis for initiating prosecutions, prior access by defence lawyers to their clients’ files and the independence of the judges. Judges seemed reluctant to order the provisional release of detainees but, at the same time, appeared to readily reject defence claims of police brutality and illegal pretrial detention. 36. OHCHR-Guinea visited several places of detention and is particularly concerned about the large number of people who are currently being held in prolonged pretrial detention. Many of those arrested in connection with the political protests in September, October and November 2010 were released and only a few of them were charged. Seven army/military officers who have been detained since 31 March at Platoon No. III of the Mobile Gendarmerie (Matam) in Conakry are yet to be charged in court and are not allowed to meet with their lawyers or family members. 2. National human rights institutions 37. Guinea has not established an independent national human rights institution. In the context of the political transition and with the support of OHCHR, the National Democracy and Human Rights Monitoring Body (Observatoire national de la democratie et des droits de l’homme) was established in 2008 and placed under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the body remains understaffed, lacks financial resources and has not been empowered to investigate human rights violations. The National Directorate for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the Ministry of Justice, which is tasked to promote human rights throughout the country, faces similar challenges. 3. Civil society organizations 38. Human rights actors have not yet found an appropriate space to advocate for the respect of human rights and bring human rights issues to the forefront of public debate. This has been due to the reluctance of the authorities to address human rights issues and the lack of knowledge of and education on human rights principles and mechanisms. Most Guineans are unaware of their rights and are therefore unable to exercise them adequately. Similarly, civil society and other human rights actors lack the capacity and confidence to adopt robust strategies to promote human rights. Increasing the space for human rights remains a major challenge for civil society organizations. 4. Cooperation with international human rights mechanisms 39. Guinea is party to the main international human rights treaties.2 However, it did not ratify the First and Second Optional Protocols to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has not consistently complied with the reporting obligations and 13 State party reports to 5 treaty bodies are currently overdue. Moreover, Guinea has not received a visit by any special-procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council or issued a standing invitation. A planned visit by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in 2007 was postponed sine die. 40. On 4 May 2010, Guinea was examined under the universal periodic review. Guinea was represented by a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. During the review, 36 delegations took the floor and expressed their appreciation of the Transitional 2 10 These include the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.