Date
Type
Case No
Country
Summary of the allegation transmitted
NGA 5/2011
20/12/2011 Nigeria
JAL
Freedom of
expression; Freedom
of peaceful assembly
and of association;
Health; Human rights
defenders;
Alleged restrictions on the rights to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly
of groups defending lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights.
According to the information received, Nigeria‟s Senate passed the “Same-Gender
Marriage” Bill on 29 November. If adopted, the Bill may put a wide range of people
at risk of criminal sanctions. The Bill allows for 10 years sentence for anyone who
“registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies or organizations” or
“witnesses”, “aids” or “abets” same-sex relationships. If passed, this Bill could be
used to prevent LGBT individuals, as well as those perceived as belonging to any of
these groups, and those that bring support to them, from associating or assembling
freely. If brought into law, the Bill could also penalize any human rights defenders
and activists who would seek to stand up for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or
transgender people in Nigeria.
THA 9/2011
20/12/2011 Thailand
JUA
Arbitrary detention;
Freedom of
expression; Human
rights defenders;
Independence of
judges and lawyers;
Alleged trial of human rights defender on charges of lèse majesté. According to the
information received, on 30 April 2011, Mr. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, human rights
defender and magazine editor, was arrested at Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo
Province, and charged with contravening the lèse majesté law. His arrest came only
five days after he held a press conference in Bangkok launching a campaign to collect
10,000 signatures to petition for a parliamentary review of the lèse majesté law or
Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. He was reportedly detained in Bangkok
Special Prison and transferred to Sa Kaeo Provincial Court on 12 November 2011.
On 1 November 2011, his fourth bail request was denied. Different venues in
different parts of Thailand, and different judges, have been allocated for the
remainder of the hearing which will allegedly place an undue burden on Mr.
Prueksakasemsuk. Mr. Prueksakasemsuk was the subject of a previous
communication (see A/HRC/19/44, case no THA 5/2011).
AGO 3/2011
21/12/2011 Angola
JAL
Freedom of
expression; Freedom
of peaceful assembly
and of association;
Human rights
defenders; Torture;
Alleged restrictions to the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and alleged
excessive use of force during demonstrations. According to the information received,
several events organized by civil society organizations during the past month have
met with last minute restrictions. It is further reported that in other occasions, the
police and plainclothes policemen violently dispersed allegedly peaceful assemblies
but did nothing to stop violent unidentified men who attacked demonstrators and
journalists.
Reply
23
A/HRC/20/30
Mandate(s)
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