UNITED NATIONS E Economic and Social Distr. Council GENERAL E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1 26 March 2004 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH ONLY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Sixtieth session Agenda item 11 (c) CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION The right to freedom of opinion and expression Addendum ∗ Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received ∗ ∗ The present document is being circulated in the language of submission only as it greatly exceeds the page limitations currently imposed by the relevant General Assembly resolutions GE.04-12400 E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1 Page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Introduction 1 – 2 5 SUMMARY OF CASES TRANSMITTED AND REPLIES RECEIVED 3 – 387 5 Afghanistan 3 – 5 5 Albania 6 – 7 6 Algeria 8 – 25 6 Argentina 26 – 34 11 Armenia 35 – 38 13 Azerbaijan 39 – 66 15 Bangladesh 67 – 87 30 Belarus 88 – 94 36 Benin 95 – 96 39 Bolivia 97 – 102 39 Botswana 103 – 106 42 Brazil 107 -108 43 Burkina Faso 109 -111 43 Cambodia 112 – 115 44 Cameroon 116 – 127 45 Central African Republic 128 – 132 49 Chad 133 – 135 50 Chile 136 – 138 51 China 139 – 197 52 Colombia 198 – 212 71 Comoros 213 – 214 75 Côte d’Ivoire 215 – 219 75 Cuba 220 – 237 77 Democratic Republic of the Congo 238 – 257 82 Djibouti 258 – 260 90 Dominican Republic 261 – 262 91 Ecuador 263 – 266 91 Egypt 267 – 296 92 El Salvador 297 – 298 100 Eritrea 299 – 315 100 Ethiopia 316 – 321 104 Gabon 322 – 325 106 Gambia 326 – 328 108 Georgia 329 – 332 109 Greece 333 – 334 111 Guatemala 335 – 347 111 Guinea-Bissau 348 – 351 116 E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1 Page 3 Paragraphs Page Haiti 352 – 361 117 Honduras 362 – 367 120 India 368 – 373 121 Indonesia 374 – 403 123 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 404 – 424 133 Israel 425 – 430 141 Italy 431 – 432 144 Jordan 433 – 437 145 Kazakhstan 438 – 449 147 Kuwait 450 – 453 153 Kyrgyzstan 454 – 459 153 Lao Peoples’Democratic Republic 460 – 466 156 Lebanon 467 – 469 159 Liberia 470 – 474 160 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 475 – 476 161 Malawi 477 – 478 162 Malaysia 479 – 498 162 Maldives 499 – 502 168 Mali 503 – 504 169 Mauritania 505 – 515 170 Mexico 516 – 524 174 Mongolia 525 – 526 176 Morocco 527 – 540 177 Myanmar 541 – 548 181 Nepal 549 – 581 186 Niger 582 – 588 197 Nigeria 589 – 599 199 Pakistan 600 – 612 203 Panama 613 – 615 208 Paraguay 616 – 617 208 Peru 618 – 622 209 Philippines 623 – 624 210 Qatar 625 – 626 211 Republic of Korea 627 – 630 211 Russian Federation 631 – 646 212 Rwanda 646 -658 220 Saudi Arabia 659 – 665 222 Senegal 666 – 669 224 Serbia and Montenegro 670 – 671 225 Sierra Leone 672 – 675 226 Slovakia 676 – 678 227 Sri Lanka 679 – 691 228 Sudan 692 – 725 232 E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1 Page 4 Paragraphs Page Swaziland 726 – 729 244 Syrian Arab Republic 730 – 741 246 Thailand 742 – 750 249 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 751 – 752 252 Togo 753 – 757 253 Tunisia 758 – 770 255 Turkey 771 – 790 259 Turkmenistan 791 – 793 264 Uganda 794 – 797 265 Ukraine 798 – 799 266 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 800 – 802 267 United Republic of Tanzania 803 – 804 269 United States of America 805 – 809 270 Uzbekistan 810 – 830 274 Venezuela 831 – 836 281 Viet Nam 837 – 847 286 Yemen 848 – 851 290 Zambia 852 – 855 291 Zimbabwe 856 – 888 292 E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1 Page 5 Introduction 1. This addendum to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression gives an account of actions undertaken by the Special Rapporteur between 1 January and 31 December 2003. It also contains in summary form the replies received from Governments to his communications, as well as observations of the Special Rapporteur where considered appropriate. 2. Owing to restrictions on the length of documents, the Special Rapporteur has been obliged to reduce considerably details of communications sent and received. As a result, replies from Governments could not be published in their entirety. SUMMARY OF CASES TRANSMITTED AND REPLIES RECEIVED Afghanistan Communications sent 3. On 14 August 2003, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal concerning Mer-hossin Mahdawi, chief editor of the Aftaab weekly newspaper, and Ali Reza Payam, a journalist working for the same publication. It was reported that on 17 June 2003, the newspaper was allegedly closed down, its editor and deputy editor were arrested and accused of blasphemy for publishing articles on the interpretation of Islam and for its adaptation to the wording of the new Afghan Constitution, and released a week later. It was further reported that on 17 July 2003, the Darul Efta or Fatwa Department of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan recommended to the Kabul Provincial Court to condemn the two journalists for blasphemy, a sentence carrying the death penalty. It is also reported that adjudications (Fatwas) issued by that department are not final and binding on the Court. Nonetheless, fears were expressed that the recommendation of the Fatwa Department of the Supreme Court may constitute a great deterrent to the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression in your country. 4. On 22 December 2003, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal referring to the case of Ms. Malalai Joya, a member of the Loya Jirga (Constitutional Council) representing the Farah province. It was reported that Ms. Joya criticized, during the morning session of the Loya Jirga on 17 December 2003, the position of influence given to some faction leaders, appointed as chairpersons of important committees of the Loya Jirga. It is reported that while Ms. Joya was speaking, the Chairman interrupted her and ordered her expulsion from the Council. At the same time, some of the delegates began insulting Ms. Joya and others are said to have threatened to kill her. Ms. Joya was eventually allowed to remain in the Council. This incident came after other female members of the Loya Jirga complained of receiving second-class treatment from their colleagues. Observations 5. The Special Rapporteur regrets that no response had been received from the Government at the time this report was finalized. E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1 Page 6 Albania Communication sent 6. On 2 October 2003, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication concerning the daily newspaper Kaho Jonë, which allegedly became the target of Government intimidation following the publication of articles critical to the Prime Minister. A few days after the publication of these articles, five different Government agencies reportedly sent inspectors to check the the compliance of the newspaper’s parent media company with financial, labour and other regulations. It was also reported that while the inspections were lawful, their timing, unusual nature and surrounding circumstances raised suspicions that they might be used to retaliate against the newspaper. It seemed that the inspectors had also seized all financial documentation of the “Koha” media group, which included two daily newspapers, one television station and one radio station, apparently making it difficult for the group to conduct everyday transactions. Observations 7. The Special Rapporteur regrets that no reply had been received from the Government at the time this report was finalized. Algeria Communications envoyées 8. Le 22 août 2003, le Rapporteur spécial a adressé une communication au gouvernement concernant des rapports faisant état de la décision du 14 août 2003 de suspendre plusieurs journaux indépendants. Selon les informations communiquées au Rapporteur spécial, Le Soir d’Algérie, Liberté, El Watan, Le Matin, El Khabar, l’Expression et El-Raï auraient été suspendus après avoir été sommés par les autorités de payer leurs dus à l’imprimerie d’État avant le 17 août. Il semblerait que l’un de ces journaux, Liberté, aurait payé ses dettes par chèque certifié en présence d’un huissier, mais aurait tout de même été suspendu. Certains rapports indiquent que cette suspension pourrait être due au fait que ces journaux soient critiques vis-à-vis du gouvernement. 9. Le 24 septembre 2003, le Rapporteur spécial, conjointement avec le Rapporteur spécial sur la question de la torture, a envoyé une communication au gouvernement dans laquelle ils faisaient état de renseignements selon lesquels près de 400 personnes qui se seraient rassemblées le 26 mars 2003 à Alger en soutien aux familles de personnes disparues auraient été violemment dispersées par les forces de l’ordre. Des mères de disparus, parmi lesquelles des femmes âgées, auraient été maltraitées par la police et certaines d’entre elles se seraient évanouies. Une reporter de nationalité hollandaise aurait été malmenée et ses films confisqués. Cinq personnes auraient été arrêtées et gardées dans les fourgons de la police avant d’être relâchées peu après. Le rassemblement aurait été bloqué devant le siège de la Commission nationale consultative de promotion et de protection des droits de l’homme (CNCPPDH), et les participants empêchés de se rendre E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1 Page 7 devant la présidence de la République. Plus tard, des agents de la Compagnie républicaine de sécurité auraient assailli les familles des personnes disparues alors même qu’elles s’apprêtaient à rejoindre le siège de leur association. Les Rapporteurs spéciaux indiquent également que des faits similaires se seraient produits dans le passé. En particulier, le 6 novembre 2002, une trentaine de membres de familles de disparus s’était réunie devant la CNCPPDH et s’étaient ensuite dirigée vers la présidence de la République. Les familles auraient alors été bloquées dans leur marche par les forces de l’ordre.