(العربية) MUSCAT - I would like to thank the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for inviting me to visit the country in order to observe the situation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Oman is the first country in the Middle East to extend an invitation to my mandate since its establishment by the Human Rights Council in October 2010. I view this as testimony of its willingness to have a frank, constructive and open dialogue on the situation of human rights. As a Special Rapporteur, I am an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in my personal capacity and I work on a voluntary basis in fulfilment of my mandate. My team and I have been deeply touched by the hospitality, generosity and welcoming nature of the Omani people. Let me also thank the Government for its cooperation before and during the conduct of this mission. I am most grateful to all my interlocutors. I have had constructive talks with members of the executive, legislative and judicial branches. I also met with representatives of the National Human Rights Commission and I had the opportunity to meet the Dhofar governorate representative during my two-day trip to Salalah. Unfortunately, I was not permitted to meet with the Mr Al-Mamari, a member of the Shura... Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of United Nations independent human rights experts has urged the government of Bahrain to release prominent human rights defender Maryam Al-Khawaja, who has been detained since 30 August on charges of assaulting a police officer. Ms. Al-Khawaja is the co-director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights. She is also the daughter of the former president and co-founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Abdulhadi Abdulla Hubail al-Khawaja, who has been in detention since 2011 and who has been the subject of numerous calls by UN experts. Ms. Al-Khawaja was detained at Bahrain International Airport while travelling to visit her father in prison. She is currently being held at Isa Town women's prison on charges of assaulting a police officer pending investigation by the Public Prosecution. Reports say her Danish passport has been confiscated and that she has been denied access to a lawyer. “The detention and decision to bring charges against Ms. Al-Khawaja is deeply concerning. In absence of credible evidence, the Government of Bahrain should take immediate steps to release her,” the experts said. “Detention of civil society members who seek to contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights is unacceptable,” they noted. “Defenders play a key role in... Continue reading →
GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai will visit Oman from 8 to 13 September 2014. He is an independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and promote the realisation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association worldwide. “I trust this visit will promote a fruitful dialogue on the issues falling under my mandate,” Mr. Kiai said. The Special Rapporteur, who will visit Oman at the invitation of the Government, will engage in discussions with a variety of stakeholders with a view to examining the situation of the rights to freedom of assembly and of association in the country. Mr. Kiai intends to travel to Muscat and Salalah, and plans to meet with State officials and members of the judicial and legislative bodies, the national human rights commission and civil society organizations. Mr. Kiai will share his preliminary findings and recommendations at a press conference on Saturday 13 September from 12pm at the Ibis Muscat Hotel (Al Azaiba Dohat Aladab Road, Muscat 130). The Special Rapporteur will present his report on this visit to the Human Rights Council during its 29th session in June 2015. For more information and media requests, please contact Ms. Karen Blanc (+41 79 444 4332, kblanc@ohchr.org) For more on Oman,... Continue reading →
GENEVA – United Nations human rights experts, including Maina Kiai, today expressed grave concern over the recent escalating trend of arrest and sentencing of individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and opinion, peaceful assembly and association. Since 22 May 2014, at least 36 individuals that include journalists, bloggers, filmmakers and authors, many of whom are also human rights activists, have been arrested summoned or sentenced in connection with their journalistic activities or for simply expressing their opinion on social media websites. Some of them have also been charged for ‘gathering and colluding against national security’ following their participation in peaceful assemblies. “Convicting individuals for expressing their opinion is absolutely unacceptable,” the experts stressed. “Freedom of expression and opinion is necessary for the realization of all human rights, and it is a right reserved for all individuals, even if that individual expresses an opinion with which the Government disagrees.” A number of these cases include situations where persons are held in solitary confinement or unknown locations and for unknown charges. Many of the trials were allegedly riddled with procedural irregularities, including deprivation of legal representation and... Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of UN human rights experts, including Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai, expressed outrage after a Criminal Court in Minya, Egypt, confirmed death sentences against 183 people, in what constitutes the largest mass death sentence to be confirmed in Egypt in recent history. The experts urged the Government to quash the sentences and offer new and fair trials to all defendants. On 21 June 2014, the Court upheld 183 of the 683 provisional death sentences imposed on 28 April 2014 in connection with events in Minya last August. The provisional sentences were pronounced following trials laden with procedural flaw. There was a lack of precision in the charges, limited access to lawyers, trials in absentia, and mass sentencing. The charges ranged from threatening public order and setting fire to a police station to murder. The 183 defendants, including Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed al-Badie, are all supporters of former elected President Mohamed Morsi. “The imposition of mass death sentences following blatantly unfair trials and for crimes that may not be punishable by death constitutes a staggering violation of international human rights law,” the experts said. The statement by the United Nations independent experts comes after a joint statement on 15 May 2014 urging the... Continue reading →
BANJUL / GENEVA – A group of African and UN human rights experts, including Maina Kiai, today called on the Egyptian authorities to bring its legal system into compliance with international and regional standards so as to ensure long-term justice and contribute to reconciliation efforts in Egypt. The appeal by nine United Nations independent experts, together with the Chairperson of the Working Group on Death Penalty and Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings in Africa, comes after the second wave of mass death sentences pronounced in Egypt last month. “Following the two mass trials, Egypt’s legal system is in critical need of being reformed, in line with international and regional standards,” the international experts stressed. “A failure to do so is likely to undermine any prospects for long-term reconciliation and justice in the country.” On 28 April 2014, a group of 683 individuals were sentenced to death in Egypt, on charges related to the events in Al-Minya in August 2013. The verdicts were pronounced in the aftermath of a first round of mass death penalties imposed upon 529 individuals on 24 March 2014. As in the previous case, the new death sentences were pronounced, reportedly under similar charges, after proceedings that seriously violated international standards of... Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of eight United Nations human rights experts*, including Maina Kiai, today urged the Egyptian authorities to quash the 529 death sentences announced in Egypt last week and give the defendants new and fair trials, so as to ensure respect of international human rights law. “The right to life is a fundamental right, not a toy to be played with. If the death penalty is to be used at all in countries which have not abolished it, international law requires the most stringent respect of a number of fundamental standards,” the experts said. On 24 March 2014, 529 individuals were sentenced to death in Egypt on charges related to the events leading to the ousting of the Government of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. At least 600 more individuals are currently under trial for similar charges. “We are appalled by the lack of clarity of the charges under which each individual was sentenced to death. Reports that some of them received capital punishment for charges of unlawful gathering, or any other offence not involving murder, indicate a clear violation of international law,” the experts stressed, recalling the “most serious crimes” provision under international law, according to which only crimes of intentional killing may be punishable by death. The experts also expressed... Continue reading →
The human rights situation in Bahrain continues to be of serious concern. Demonstrators and members of civil society today face severe restrictions to their rights of free assembly and association. Violence against them remains a real threat. Human rights defenders - and indeed anyone who exercises their expressive rights - is at serious risk of harassment or imprisonment. Impunity for those who have committed human rights violations remains all to common. During the 24th session of the Human Rights Council on September 9, 2013, a group of more than 45 countries issued a joint statement regarding this situation. The statement calls upon Bahrain authorities to address these human rights concerns, and to expedite the implementation of reforms. The group also called upon Bahrain to enhance its cooperation with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to allow for a fully comprehensive collaboration, including an OHCHR follow-up mission. Lastly, the statement urged the Government of Bahrain to cooperate with the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, in particular the Special Rapporteur on torture, the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, together with any other... Continue reading →
A group of United Nations independent human rights experts, including Maina Kiai, expressed deep concern at the alleged ongoing judicial harassment, intimidation and abusive treatment directed against Issa Amro, a prominent Palestinian human rights defender. Mr. Amro was arrested and detained 20 times in 2012, and six times so far in 2013, although he has never engaged in violence nor been charged with a crime. He is a founder of non-governmental organizations Youth Against Settlements and Hebron Defenders. “Mr. Amro appears to be the victim of a pattern of harassment that includes an effort to intimidate him prior to his participation at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in June 2013 as NGO representative where he delivered two statements,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Richard Falk. “Right before participating at this session of the Council, he received a summons to appear at Ofer Military Court on 30 December 2013,” Mr. Falk recalled. “At this point, there is no indication of any charges against Mr. Amro.” Over the past months, Mr. Amro has also received a number of death threats from settler organizations. “Among the most insidious features of the prolonged occupation of the West Bank has been the... Continue reading →
A group of United Nations independent human rights experts today warned that unreasonable limitations placed on the right of Iranian citizens to stand for Presidential office, discrimination against women candidates for elections and ongoing restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, constitute a serious violations of rights guaranteed by international law. On 21 May, the Guardian Council, a 12-member body of theologians and jurists, which vets presidential candidates, approved only 8 individuals out of the 686 people registered as candidates for the June 14 presidential elections. Several key political figures and all the 30 female candidates were disqualified, raising serious concerns about the fairness and transparency of the vetting procedures. Several candidates were apparently excluded on the basis of their affiliation with the 2009 post-election protests and their exercise of fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. “This mass disqualification including that of women wishing to stand in the presidential elections is discriminatory and violates fundamental right to political participation, and run contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran has ratified,” said the... Continue reading →
