A/HRC/11/4 page 6 B. Press releases 11. Within the scope of his mandate the Special Rapporteur may issue press releases1 in order to highlight his particular concern about current events in relation to freedom of opinion and expression. Since the beginning of his term in August 2008 the Special Rapporteur has issued four joint press statements concerning restrictions on the right to freedom of opinion and expression. 12. On 18 November 2008, the Special Rapporteur, together with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, issued a joint press release condemning the severe conditions and unfair trials of prisoners of conscience in Myanmar. The experts noted that peaceful demonstrators arrested in 2007 were being tried after one year of arbitrary detention, with dozens of the detainees being sentenced to 65 years’ imprisonment; others were given 25-year sentences. Moreover, defence lawyers had also been sentenced to several months’ imprisonment or were barred from representing their clients. The experts strongly urged authorities in Myanmar to cease these acts of harassment and detention against individuals who were exercising their human rights. They stipulated that all the detainees should be retried respecting fair trials guarantees and that all the defence counsels be released. 13. On 27 November 2008, the Special Rapporteur, along with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, issued a press release regarding the ongoing harassment and intimidation of members of the One Million Signatures Campaign in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The experts noted that peaceful demonstrators had been arrested, detained and persecuted with prison sentences, while women’s rights activists involved in the campaign had been continuously harassed and prevented from travelling. The experts stipulated that women’s participation in public life, to promote equal treatment of women and men in the Islamic Republic of Iran, should be encouraged as a means to build a stronger and healthier society, in which women’s unique contributions can flourish. As such, the Special Rapporteurs urged the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to abide by its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and to respect the rights of women’s rights activists to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and to freedom of opinion and expression. 14. On 10 December 2008, the Special Rapporteur, along with 35 other special rapporteurs and independent experts, issued a press release welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which enables those suffering from violations of their economic, social and cultural rights to seek remedies and hold those responsible to account for their actions. The experts expressed their hope that views adopted by the Committee under the Optional Protocol procedures would be used by the human rights community to assist States in taking concrete steps to realize the rights 1 The full text of the press statement is available at: http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/ view01/875F9C3B794E9AB3C125750500497FDD?opendocument.