In particular, in Uzbekistan, defenders were subjected to torture, ill-treatments, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and their situation has especially deteriorated since the Andijan events in May 2005. In light of this crackdown of civil society, Ms. Jilani, how would you assess the Uzbek government cooperation with your mandate?
Furthermore, Ms. Jilani, which measures could be taken to address the following situations, which also have further deteriorated since your last reports? In Iran, where several cases of judicial harassment and arbitrary detentions without charges were registered against NGOs, lawyers and journalists involved in favour of human rights; in Sudan where acts of harassment of human rights defenders increased in Darfur, in the Philippines, where defenders, including peasant leaders and women human rights defenders, are being subjected to extra-judicial killings, and in Colombia, which still remains one of the most dangerous country in the world for defenders in the context of the current armed conflict.
We would like to draw your attention to the situation of human rights defenders in DRC, where they were subjected to increasing acts of intimidation and threats, in particular in the context of the electoral process; in Ethiopia and Singapore, where they faced obstacles to their freedoms of association and assembly; in China and Maldives, where the authorities continued to repress freedom of expression, and to criminalise social protest; and in the Russian Federation and Sri Lanka, where the authorities went on trying to control independent civil society, including through restrictive laws relating to NGOs.
Finally Ms. Jilani, what would be your opinion about the setting up of an independent human rights field office that would assist human rights defenders who work in conflict situations, such as in Sri Lanka?
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
For further details, contact:
Lisa Pusey (APWLD): lisa@apwld.org
Ruki Fernando (FORUM-ASIA): ruki@forum-asia.org
Delphine Reculeau (Observatory/OMCT): dr@omct.org
Catherine François (Observatory/FIDH): cfrancois@fidh.org
Budi Tjahjono (Pax Romana): budi@paxromana.int.ch