Case No
Country
Mandate(s)
Summary of the allegation transmitted
Reply
IND 9/2011
10/06/2011 India
JUA
Summary
executions;
Torture;
Alleged ill-treatment due to prolonged stay on death row, sentencing to death without fair trial
and imminent execution. According to the information received, Mr. Devender Pal Singh was
arrested in January 1995 at New Delhi Airport, without access to a lawyer, and subsequently
charged for his involvement in a bomb attack. Allegedly, his death sentence followed a trial
based on coerced evidence, which he later retracted. His death sentence was updheld by the
Supreme Court in 2002 and his petition for Presidential pardon was rejected in May 2011. In a
second case, Mr. Mahendra Nath Das was sentenced to death in 1997 for murder and had since
been held on death row. The Supreme Court reportedly confirmed the sentence in 1999 and in
May 2011 his petition for Presidential pardon submitted in 2000 was denied. Both individuals
were at risk of imminent execution due to the apparent move to resume executions in India.
THA 5/2011
10/06/2011 Thailand
JUA
Freedom of
expression;
Human rights
defenders;
Alleged human rights violations in relation to the lèse majesté law. According to the information 24/06/2011
received, Mr. Somsak Jeamteerasakul, an Associate Professor at Thammasat University in
Bangkok has written several articles regarding the monarchy and has spoken publicly about the
issue. On 24 April, Mr. Jeamteerasakul released a statement about the threats he had received
during the previous two months, primarily from the Royal Thai Army. During the week of 25
April, two men on separate motorbikes were allegedly seen by a security guard surveying the
area near Mr. Jeamteerasakul‟s house. On 27 April, an arrest warrant for Mr. Jeamteerasakul was
reportedly submitted to the court by the police based on a complaint submitted by the Army‟s
legal division of the police, but was rejected. On 2 May a programme was broadcast on Channel
9, a television station owned by the Army, which showed a photo of Mr. Jeamteerasakul and
allegedly accused him of wanting to overthrow the monarchy. Mr. Jeamteerasakul had since then
been receiving anonymous phone calls warning him to be careful. Mr. Thanthawut
Taweewarodomkul, administrator of a website which supports the “United Front for Democracy
Against Dictatorship” (UDD), had posted two messages online before the clashes took place in
April and May 2010 between anti-Government protesters and the military. The first message
stated that if the “red shirt” protesters die in clashes with the military, the King should be held
responsible, while the second alluded to the King as the “father” who should intervene if “sons
and daughters are fighting” before anyone is killed. On 1 April 2010, Mr. Taweewarodomkul
was allegedly charged by the Technological Crimes Suppression Division for violating the lèse
majesté law and arrested by the police. On 15 March 2011, Mr. Taweewarodomkul was allegedly
sentenced by Bangkok Criminal Court to 13 years of imprisonment under article 112 of the Thai
Penal Code (lèse majesté law) and the Computer Crimes Act. Mr. Somyot Pruksakasemsuk,
Executive Director of Red Power magazine, former editor of the Voice of Taksin magazine, and
a core leader of the UDD, was arrested on 30 April 2011, for allegedly “attempting to topple the
high institution”, as he was trying to cross from Thailand to Cambodia for work related reasons
as an employee of a tour guide company. On 3 May, Mr. Pruksakasemsuk was reportedly placed
A/HRC/19/44
14
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