Date Type 12/11/2015 JAL 12/11/2015 JAL 12/11/2015 JAL Case No Country Mandate(s) Summary of the allegation transmitted Reply AUS 6/2015 Australia Freedom of expression; Human rights defenders; Mercenaries; Migrants; Torture; Allegations of undue restrictions, harassment, intimidation and retaliation against 12/01/2016 human rights defenders and journalists documenting, and reporting on the situation 15/01/2016 of asylum seekers held at immigration detention facilities under the control of the Government of Australia. According to the information received, these human rights defenders and journalists are documenting and reporting on the conditions of detention and allegations of ill-treatment in these centres, which may amount to torture. They are also reporting on the impact of the adoption of the Border Force Act, which includes provisions leading to the potential criminalization of journalists and human rights defenders, as well as restrictions to the right to freedom of expression. A communication with the same content is being addressed to the Governments of Nauru and Papua New Guinea, see below, case no. NRU 2/2015 and case no. PNG 1/2015 respectively. BLR 2/2015 Belarus Belarus; Human rights defenders; Alleged detention, searching and charging of a human rights defender. According to the information received, on 25 August 2015, Mr. Leanid Sudalenka was detained for two hours at the Minsk regional customs office at Molodechno station, Belarus, and subjected to a personal search before being released. On 14 October 2015, Mr. Sudalenka was charged under article 23.4 of the Administrative Code with disobeying the demands of persons in the execution of their duties, in relation to the incident on 25 August 2015. His trial commenced on 20 October 2015, however, the case was referred back to the Department of Customs Investigation to correct deficiencies in the case. Mr. Sudalenka was the subject of two previous communications sent on 17 April 2015, see A/HRC/18/51, case no. BLR 1/2015, and on 25 February 2011, see A/HRC/18/51, case no. BLR 2/2011. NRU 2/2015 Nauru Freedom of expression; Human rights defenders; Mercenaries; Migrants; Torture; Allegations of undue restrictions, harassment, intimidation and retaliation against human rights defenders and journalists documenting, and reporting on the situation of asylum seekers held at immigration detention facilities in Nauru. According to the information received, these human rights defenders and journalists are documenting and reporting on the conditions of detention, and allegations of illtreatment in these centres, which may amount to torture. A communication with the same content is being addressed to the Governments of Australia, see above, case no. AUS 6/2015, and Papua New Guinea, see below, case no. PNG 1/2015. A/HRC/31/79 147