UNITED E NATIONS Economic and Social Distr. Council GENERAL E/CN.4/2006/55/Add.1 27 March 2006 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Sixty-second session Item 11 (c) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION The right to freedom of opinion and expression Report of the Special Rapporteur, Ambeyi Ligabo Addendum Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received* * The present document is being circulated as received, in the languages of submission only, as it greatly exceeds the word limitations currently imposed by the relevant General Assembly resolutions. GE.06-12112 (E) 010506 E/CN.4/2006/55/Add.1 page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Introduction 1-6 5 SUMMARY OF CASES TRANSMITTED AND REPLIES 7-1153 6 RECEIVED Afghanistan ……………………………………………………… 7-8 6 Algeria …………………………………………………………… 9-19 6 Argentina ………………………………………………………… 20-24 10 Azerbaijan ……………………………………………………….. 25-32 11 Bahrain …………………………….…………………………….. 33-44 14 Bangladesh ………………………………………………………. 45-70 20 Belarus …………………………………………………………… 71-86 26 Bolivia …………………………………………………………… 87-94 31 Brazil …………………………………………………………….. 95-114 34 Burundi …………………………………………………………... 115-116 40 Cambodia ………………………………………………………… 117-122 41 Cameroon ………………………………………………………… 123-131 42 Chad ……………………………………………………………… 132-139 46 Chile ……………………………………………………………… 140-148 49 China ………………………………………….………………….. 149-190 52 Colombia ……………………………………….………………… 191-231 64 Côte d’Ivoire …………………………………….……………….. 232-238 80 Croatia …………………………………………….……………… 239-240 82 Cuba ……………………………………………………………… 241-255 82 Democratic Republic of the Congo ……………………………… 256-299 88 Djibouti …………………………………………….…………….. 300-301 107 Ecuador …………………………………………….…………….. 302-310 107 Egypt ……………………………………………….…………….. 311-328 110 El Salvador ………………………………………….……………. 329-333 115 Eritrea ……………………………………………….……………. 334-339 117 Ethiopia ……………………………………………….………….. 340-360 119 Gabon ………………………………………………….…………. 361-362 127 Georgia …………………………………………………….……... 363-364 127 Ghana ……………………………………………………….……. 365-366 128 Greece ……………………………………………….…….……… 367-371 128 Guatemala …………………………………………………….….. 372-397 129 Guinea ………………………………………………….………… 398-401 140 Haiti …………………………………………………….………… 402-403 141 Honduras ……………………………………………….………… 404-406 142 India …………………………………………………….………… 407-413 143 Indonesia ……………………………………………….………… 414-418 145 Iran (Islamic Republic of) ……………………………….……….. 419-455 147 Iraq ……………………………………………………….………. 456-474 157 E/CN.4/2006/55/Add.1 page 3 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page Israel ……………………………………………………………… 475-489 162 Italy ……………………………………………………………….. 490-492 166 Kazakhstan ……………………………………………………….. 493-501 167 Kyrgyzstan ……………………………………………………….. 502-504 170 Lao People’s Democratic Republic ………………………………. 505-506 170 Lebanon …………………………………………………………... 507-513 171 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya …………………………………..……… 514-517 173 Madagascar ……………………………………………………….. 518-520 174 Malaysia ………………………………………………………….. 521-525 175 Maldives ………………………………………………………….. 526-538 176 Mali ………………………………………………………………. 539-541 182 Mauritania ………………………………………………………... 542-547 183 Mexico ……………………………………………………………. 548-581 185 Mongolia …………………………………………………………. 582-583 200 Morocco ………………………………………………………….. 584-603 201 Myanmar …………………………………………………………. 604-621 208 Nepal ……………………………………………………………... 622-746 217 Nicaragua ………………………………………………………… 747-750 251 Niger ……………………………………………………………… 751-759 252 Nigeria ……………………………………………………………. 760-763 254 Oman ……………………………………………………………... 764-767 255 Pakistan …………………………………………………………... 768-788 256 Panama …………………………………………………………… 789-790 262 Paraguay ………………………………………………………….. 791-793 263 Peru ………………………………………………………………. 794-800 264 Philippines ………………………………………………………... 801-821 267 Poland …………………………………………………………….. 822-827 273 Republic of Korea ………………………………………………... 828-830 275 Russian Federation ……………………………………………….. 831-856 276 Rwanda …………………………………………………………… 857-859 284 Saudi Arabia ……………………………………………………… 860-870 285 Serbia and Montenegro …………………………………………... 871-877 288 Sierra Leone ……………………………………………………… 878-885 290 Singapore ………………………………………………………… 886-890 292 Slovakia …………………………………………………………... 891-893 294 Somalia …………………………………………………………… 894-895 295 South Africa ……………………………………………………… 896-898 296 Sri Lanka ………………………………………………………… 899-917 296 Sudan …………………………………………………………….. 918-935 301 Syrian Arab Republic ……………………………………………. 936-961 306 Tajikistan …………………………………………………………. 962-965 314 Thailand ………………………………………………………….. 966-974 316 Togo ……………………………………………………………… 975-985 318 E/CN.4/2006/55/Add.1 page 4 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page Tunisia ……………………………………………………………. 986-1029 323 Turkey ……………………………………………………………. 1030-1045 346 Uganda …………………………………………………………… 1046-1049 350 Ukraine …………………………………………………………… 1050-1054 351 United Arab Emirates …………………………………………….. 1055-1056 352 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland …………. 1057-1059 353 United States of America ………………………………………… 1060-1071 354 Uruguay …………………………………………………………... 1072-1074 358 Uzbekistan ………………………………………………………... 1075-1105 359 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) ……………………………… 1106-1109 381 Viet Nam …………………………………………………………. 1110-1114 382 Yemen ……………………………………………………………. 1115-1125 384 Zambia ……………………………………………………………. 1126-1128 387 Zimbabwe ………………………………………………………… 1129-1150 387 UNMIK (Kosovo) ………………………………………………... 1151-1153 394 Annex ……………………………………………………………………………. 395 E/CN.4/2006/55/Add.1 page 5 Introduction 1. At its sixty-first session, the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 2005/38 entitled ‘The right to freedom of opinion and expression’, appealed to all States to cooperate fully with and assist the Special Rapporteur in the performance of his tasks, and to provide him with all necessary information requested by him. 2. The present report contains, on a country-by-country basis, summaries of general and individual allegations, as well as urgent appeals transmitted to Governments between 1 January and 31 December 2005, as well as replies received during the same period. Observations made by the Special Rapporteur have also been included where applicable. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur transmitted 490 communications on behalf of 1328 people to the Governments of 96 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, the People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Phillipines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe and UNMIK (Kosovo). 3. Replies to communications received after 31 December 2005 will be included in the Special Rapporteur’s next communication report. Moreover, government replies concerning which translations were not completed by 31 January 2005 will also be included in the Special Rapporteur’s next communication report. 4. Owing to restrictions on the length of documents, the Special Rapporteur has been obliged to reduce considerably details of communications sent and received. Replies from Governments could not be published in their entirety either. 5. The Special Rapporteur has used initials for those victims, including victims of sexual violence, inter alia, he deems could be in a potentially particularly sensitive situation, in order to respect their privacy and to prevent the possibility of further victimization. With a view to preserve the presumption of innocence, the same procedure has been adopted by the Special Rapporteur with regard to the alleged perpetrators. 6. The Special Rapporteur wishes to emphasize that the omission of a particular country or territory should not be interpreted as indicating that there are no problems or concerns regarding the right to freedom of opinion and expression in that country or territory. E/CN.4/2006/55/Add.1 page 6 SUMMARY OF CASES TRANSMITTED AND REPLIES RECEIVED Afghanistan 7. On 6 October 2005, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, sent an urgent appeal concerning Mr. Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, aged 50, editor of the monthly news magazine Haqooq-i-Zan (Women's Rights). According to information received, an Islamic cleric in Kabul filed a complaint to the police against the magazine Haqooq-i-Zan three months before this communication was sent, alleging that it published material “against Islamic teachings”. The complaint referred specifically to two articles published in Haqooq-i-Zan: one criticised the severity of the punishment of 100 lashes for those found guilty of adultery. The other argued that abandonment of Islam could not be considered a crime. On 1 October 2005 Ali Mohaqiq Nasab was arrested