This page summarizes cases raised with Oman by the Special Rapporteur between May 1, 2011, (when the Special Rapporteur took up his functions) and February 28, 2017 (the date of the last public release of communications). Communications are released to the public once per year. This page also contains observations on these communications and on responses received from Oman. Communications and observations are divided into sections based upon which observation report they originally appeared. Each communication is referenced as urgent appeal (UA), allegation letter (AL), joint urgent appeal (JUA) and joint allegation letter (JAL) - the hyperlinks lead to these documents. This is followed by the date the communication was issued, as well as the case number and the State reply (also hyperlinked if available). Summaries and communications are published only in the language of submission (in the case of Oman, English). First Report (May 1, 2011 to March 15, 2012) None Second Report (March 16, 2012 to February 28, 2013) Joint urgent appeal, 21/06/2012. Case no. OMN 1/2012. State Replies: 14/08/2012; 18/08/2012. Allegations of arbitrary arrest, detention and criminalisation of human rights defenders. Joint urgent appeal, 10/08/2012. Case no. OMN 2/2012. State Replies: 14/08/2012; 18/08/2012.... Continue reading →
Issue No. 13 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • UNSR presents latest reports to Human Rights Council; calls for binding human rights treaty for corporations • Cambodian civil society excluded from NGO bill drafting process, UN rights expert warns • Kiai joins experts to speak out on youth LGBT rights • “Azerbaijani activists must be freed before the Baku 2015 Games” • Bolivia: Special Rapporteur files amicus curiae brief challenging NGO regulations • The Special Rapporteur announces official visit to Chile in September 2015 • Freedom of association and assembly: By the numbers • Special Rapporteur news in brief: May-June 2015 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here (3.6MB file) or here (12.3MB full resolution file). To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line “subscribe to newsletter.” For other recent newsletters, see the links below: The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Issue 10) (January 2015) The Assembly and Association Briefing,... Continue reading →
GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, called for a new treaty binding businesses to respect fundamental human rights, and for States and corporations to fully engage with civil society organizations in the context of natural resource exploitation. “Corporations play an outsized role in the decision-making processes about exploitation of natural resources. But they are not subject to legally binding human rights obligations,” Mr. Kiai told the UN Human Rights Council during the presentation of his latest report. “It is time to address this issue more robustly; corporations must not escape responsibility to safeguard human rights.” In response to these concerns, the Special Rapporteur called upon States to enact a legally binding human rights instrument that applies to all corporations, regardless of their size or geographical scope. “I am aware that some would rather strengthen compliance with the Guiding Principles than have a binding treaty. But this should not be an either/or matter: Both should be pursued to protect human rights.” The Special Rapporteur also highlighted States’ responsibility to recognize civil society organizations, including affected communities, as key actors in the... Continue reading →
GENEVA – United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai will be in Geneva this week to present his latest reports to the UN Human Rights Council and to participate in other events.Kiai, will present two reports covering his country visits to Oman and Kazakhstan and a third focusing on assembly and association rights of the context of natural resource exploitation. A fourth report contains his observations on the mandate’s official communications with UN Member States and replies between March 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015.Kiai, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, is scheduled to present to the 29th Session of the Council at the Palais des Nations, Room XX, during the June 17 session starting at 11:30 a.m. His presentation may run into June 18, depending on the length of other agenda items. The session will be broadcast live on http://webtv.un.org/.Thematic report: Natural resource exploitation Kiai’s fourth thematic report to the Council examines the role that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association play in opening space for genuine participation across the spectrum of natural resource exploitation activities. The report defines natural resource exploitation widely to include a broad range of materials such as land,... Continue reading →
The Special Rapporteur’s factsheet summarizing his official visit to Oman in September 2014 highlights issues surrounding the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and is presented in an easy-to use “yes/no” format, with hyperlinks to source materials. This factsheet draws heavily from the Special Rapporteur’s report on the Oman visit, which was presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2015. It provides details and analysis of: • The authorization process for peaceful assemblies in Oman • The registration of associations, and the Government's role in regulating the civil society sector • Oman's ban on political parties and political associations • The Special Rapporteur's findings and recommendations • The case of human rights defender Said Jadad, who was arrested following the Special Rapporteur's visit • And more The factsheet also gives background information on Oman, including vital statistics and its "scorecard" on ratifying key UN human rights treaties. For the Special Rapporteur’s full factsheet series, please see:... Continue reading →
Issue No. 10 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • Full coverage of the Special Rapporteur's visit to Kazakhstan • Oman: UN experts call for the immediate release of activist Said Jadad, as reprisals continue unchecked • Lao: Two years later, Sombath Somphone still missing • Bahrain: Kiai joins call to drop charges against women activists for government criticism • UNSR releases first-ever annual report recapping 2014 • Freedom of association and assembly: By the numbers • Special rapporteur news in brief: December 2014 - January 2015 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here (1.5MB file) or here (6.5MB full resolution file). To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line “subscribe to newsletter.” For other recent newsletters, see the links below: The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, No. 7 (September 2014) The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, No. 8 (October-November 2014) The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, No. 9 (December 2014) All previous... Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of United Nations independent experts has urged the Government of Oman to release Said Ali Said Jadad, a prominent human rights defender who has been advocating for democratic reforms in the country and has been repeatedly detained. Mr. Jadad’s latest detention took place on 21 January, without an arrest warrant. Mr. Jadad is scheduled to be transferred from the Police Headquarters in Salalah to appear in court in Muscat in the coming days, on charges of undermining the prestige of the state, incitement to sit-ins and demonstrations, steering up sectarian strife and offending state officials. “This is not the first time that I have been informed about acts of reprisals against Mr. Jadad following my official visit to Oman in September 2014,” the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, said. “Mr. Jadad has been repeatedly detained since 10 December and I am worried that he was arrested for having met with me during my visit.” “I urge the Omani Government to ensure the safety of Mr. Jadad and to guarantee that no human rights defender in the country is subjected to any form of reprisals – including threats, harassment, imprisonment or judicial proceedings,” Mr. Kiai stated. The Special Rapporteur on the... Continue reading →
Maina Kiai undertook an official mission to the Sultanate of Oman Sept. 8-13, 2014. The visit was carried out pursuant to his mandate to assess the situation of freedoms of peaceful assembly and association in the country. During his six-day visit, Mr. Kiai met State officials, members of the judiciary and of Parliament, representatives of the National Human rights Commission and members of civil society. At the conclusion of his visit, the Special Rapporteur congratulated Oman at a press conference for its remarkable economic development over the past 40 years, but said that it was now "time for Oman to build on these achievements by adopting a human rights and people-centred approach that can lead to the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, including rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association." The expert noted a “consistent focus” on maintaining peace, order and stability in the country, which is often used for limiting assembly and association rights. This, in turn, creates “a pervasive culture of silence and fear affecting anyone who wants to speak and work for reforms in Oman,” he stressed, noting that some activists “reported reprisals, before and during my visit, following their attempts to contact or meet with me.” “Stability is certainly... Continue reading →
Issue No. 7 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • Kiai makes official visit to Oman; says it’s time for sultanate to build on economic development and fully embrace human rights • UN experts urge Bahrain to release human rights defender Maryam Al-Khawaja • Iran: Kiai condemns the recent wave of arrest and sentencing of civil society actors • UN experts urge Tasmania to drop bill that would limit protests against businesses • Kiai and others call on the government of Azerbaijan to stop persecution of rights activists • UNSR makes follow-up visit to Rwanda • Freedom of association and assembly: By the numbers • Special rapporteur news in brief: July-September 2014 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here (3.1MB file) or here (9.5MB full resolution file). To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line “subscribe to newsletter.” For other recent newsletters, see the links below: The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 4 (May 2014) The Assembly and Association Briefing,... Continue reading →
MUSCAT / GENEVA – “Just as Oman has successfully modernized and is a strong state, it can and should embrace further openness,” United Nations human rights expert Maina Kiai said at the end of his first official visit to the country. The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association urged the Omani Government to embrace human rights with the same energy and focus they have devoted to economic development since opening up to the world 40 years ago. “This is the time for Oman to build on these achievements by adopting a human rights and people-centred approach that can lead to the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, including rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association,” Mr. Kiai said. The expert noted a “consistent focus” on maintaining peace, order and stability in the country, which is often used for limiting assembly and association rights. This, in turn, creates “a pervasive culture of silence and fear affecting anyone who wants to speak and work for reforms in Oman,” he stressed, noting that some activists “reported reprisals, before and during my visit, following their attempts to contact or meet with me.” “Stability is certainly important,” the Special Rapporteur said, “but it is crucial to... Continue reading →
