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Ban Voices Concern at Continued Use of Death Penalty by Some States

13 June 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has hailed the growing momentum against capital punishment, while voicing concern that a small number of States continue to impose the death penalty, often in violation of international standards.

In a message to the Fifth World Congress against the Death Penalty, held in Madrid, Mr. Ban noted that the full abolition of the death penalty has support in every region and across legal systems, traditions, customs and religious backgrounds.

Currently, more than 150 States have either abolished the death penalty or do not practice it. Last year, 174 United Nations Member States were “execution-free,” he said.

“Despite these positive trends, I am deeply concerned that a small number of States continue to impose the death penalty, and thousands of individuals are executed each year, often in violation of international standards,” said the Secretary-General.

“Some countries with a longstanding de facto moratorium have recently resumed executions,” he noted. Also, the death penalty is at times used for offences that do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes,” such as drug crimes, and a few States impose capital punishment against juvenile offenders, in violation of international human rights law.

Mr. Ban also pointed out that information concerning the application of the death penalty is often cloaked in secrecy, and that the lack of data on the number of executions or the number of individuals on death row “seriously impedes” any informed national debate that may lead to abolition.

“The taking of life is too absolute and irreversible for one human being to inflict on another, even when backed by a legal process. Too often, multiple layers of judicial oversight still fail to reverse wrongful death penalty convictions for years and even decades,” he said.

This problem, he added, will be discussed at a UN panel in New York at the end of this month.

The UN General Assembly first voted on a moratorium in 2007, and again in December 2012, when it adopted a resolution calling for a progressive restriction on the use of capital punishment and eliminating it entirely for felons below the age of 18 and pregnant women.

Although not legally binding, the UN moratorium on executions carries moral and political weight.

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UN Official Calls for Justice in Wake of Human Rights Violations in Côte d’Ivoire, Warns of Renewed Violence

1 December 2012 – At the end of a visit to Côte d'Ivoire, a senior United Nations human rights official today warned that failure to quickly bring perpetrators of serious human rights crimes to justice could lead to recurrent violence in the West African nation.

The remarks of the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic, followed a visit to Nahibly, a remote camp near the town of Duekoue in the country's west that was the scene of an attack on displaced people on 20 July.

“The tragic incident at Nahibly reminds me of the scenes in Duekoue on my last visit in 2011. Bodies were being exhumed from mass graves. The victims of those crimes are still waiting for justice. Such impunity – the failure to hold the perpetrators of horrendous crimes accountable – creates a grave risk of continuous violence,” Mr. Simonovic said, while also stressing the urgency of completing investigations into the incident and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The Government has launched investigations into the Nahibly attack, which left at least eight people dead and many more unaccounted for, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The UN official last visited Côte d'Ivoire in April 2011, at the height of the political crisis that followed its disputed 2010 elections.

Local officials and aid workers told Mr. Simonovic that the fragile security situation and fear of reprisals are hindering investigations – he said that quick, thorough and credible investigations were essential for the sake of not only justice, but also reconciliation and prevention of future attacks.

In Man, Guiglo and Duekoue in the west, civil society representatives and community members expressed concern to the UN official about unresolved land disputes, illicit circulation of arms and activities of Dozos, traditional hunters that have become a paramilitary group.

Mr. Simonovic noted that these concerns have the effect of denting confidence in the authorities and could fuel conflict, and urged the Government to continue efforts to reform the security sector despite the challenges posed by armed attacks on military positions and state facilities in parts of the country.

“It is essential to continue with security sector reform, in particular to strengthen the police and gendarmerie to take back their law and order functions from the army and paramilitary groups,” the Assistant Secretary-General said. “It is equally important to take all necessary measures to prevent and to punish cases of arbitrary detention and torture.”

While in the city of Abidjan, Mr. Simonovic held meetings with a range of Government officials and political representatives, and others, in addition to President Alassane Ouattara and Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan. “I was encouraged by their commitment to accountability no matter the ethnicity, religious or political affiliation of the perpetrators,” he said.

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UN Experts Voice Shock at Killing of Prominent Rights Defender in Honduras

By UN News Centre

1 October 2012 – Three independent United Nations experts have expressed their dismay at the killing in Honduras of prominent human rights lawyer Antonio Trejo Cabrera, who was very active in the media denouncing alleged abuses by landowners and politicians.

The killing is “totally unacceptable,” said the UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya; extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns; and freedom of expression, Frank La Rue.

Mr. Trejo Cabrera was shot five times in the vicinity of Toncontín airport in Tegucigalpa on 2 September and died shortly after from his injuries, according to a news release issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

He was the lead lawyer for Movimiento Auténtico Reivindicador Campesino del Aguán Region and represented several agrarian cooperatives in the Lower Aguán Region in legal disputes with powerful landowners. Hours before his killing, he had participated in a televised debate in which he accused political leaders of using private city projects to raise campaign funds.

The experts noted that the killing comes amidst serious concerns for the security of human rights defenders in the country, in particular those peacefully working on land conflict issues.

Ms. Sekaggya met with Mr. Trejo Cabrera during her official visit to Honduras in February, at which time he presented the situation of human rights defenders in the Lower Aguán Region. “During the meeting, Mr. Trejo Carrera indicated that he had repeatedly received death threats as a result of his work,” she recalled.

“I am very saddened by the killing of Mr. Trejo Cabrera and I echo what the High Commissioner for Human Rights has said about the unacceptable climate of insecurity and violence for defenders in the country,” said Ms. Sekaggya. “It is imperative that the Government establishes a national protection programme for human rights defenders as soon as possible.”

High Commissioner Navi Pillay last week called on Honduras to take urgent steps to combat impunity for crimes against lawyers and journalists, stressing that recent killings reflect the “chronic insecurity” that these professions are subject to in the country.

“Sadly, these deplorable killings are far from isolated cases,” she had stated. “There is a menacing climate of insecurity and violence in Honduras, and human rights defenders have been targets of threats, harassment, physical assault and murder.” She added that the impunity that surrounds these violations is “unacceptable.”

Mr. Heyns expressed deep concern at the ongoing impunity with which perpetrators operate in the country and reminded the Government of its “obligation to thoroughly, promptly and impartially investigate all suspected cases of extra-legal, arbitrary and summary executions.”

In addition, Mr. La Rue requested that the results of the investigation are shared with Antonio Trejo Cabrera’s family, the Honduran public and relevant UN Rapporteurs.

Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back, in an unpaid capacity, on specific human rights themes.

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‘Stench of dead bodies’ in the air, UN team says on reaching Syrian town of al-Haffeh

By UN News Centre

14 June 2012 – United Nations observers, having finally entered al-Haffeh today, reported that the Syrian town appeared deserted, with many buildings burned down and the “strong stench of dead bodies” in the air.

Staff from the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) had been impeded from reaching the town in recent days by the ongoing violence in the area. When they reached the site today, most government institutions were set on fire, stores were looted and burned and residential homes appeared rummaged.

“A strong stench of dead bodies was in the air and there appeared to be pockets in the town where fighting is still ongoing,” the spokesperson for UNSMIS, Sausan Ghosheh, said. “The number of casualties is still unclear.”

In addition, the observers found that the Baath Party headquarters in the town was shelled and appeared to be the site of heavy fighting. Remnants of heavy weapons and a range of different calibre arms were found in the town. Cars, both civilian and security, were also set on fire and damaged.

“UNSMIS is deeply concerned about the escalating level of violence in Syria and calls on all parties to put down their weapons and choose the path of non-violence for the welfare of the Syrian people who have suffered enough,” stated Ms. Ghosheh.

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.

UNSMIS observers have been charged with monitoring the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitoring and supporting the full implementation of a six-point peace plan put forward by the Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the Arab League for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan.

The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue that takes into account the aspirations of the Syrian people, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

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Labour and Sexual Exploitation: Two Things to Keep in Mind Today on World Day Against Child Labour

GENEVA (12 June 2012) – Two United Nations experts on contemporary forms of slavery and sale of children stressed today that more than 215 million children are working throughout the world over half of whom are subjected to the worst forms of child labour, including sexual and labour exploitation.

“One of the most abhorrent forms of child slavery is that found in mining and quarrying, in which children start work from the age of three,” said the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Gulnara Shahinian. “Children, the majority of whom is boys, working in this sector are treated as commodities and face particular, and in some cases a combination of, physical, psychological, economic and sexual exploitation not found in other areas where children work.”

The human rights expert noted that recent reports show that with the current economic crises there is more reliance on commodities such as gold. “This demand has increased the numbers of boys and girls working in slavery like conditions within mines and quarries.”

“The combined elements of coercion, fear, restriction on freedom of movement and complete dependence on the employer exhibit characteristics which amount to contemporary forms of slavery,” the Special Rapporteur said. The impact of these forms of abuses is not only immediate, but has long-term harmful repercussions on the children and the children’s children.

“During my country visits, I have seen how unscrupulous employers take advantage of children’s small physique for artisanal mining which results in their stunted growth. In artisanal mining, both boys and girls handle highly toxic chemicals to extract minerals exposing them to irreversible health damages,” she noted.

“They also endure physically demanding work where they have to carry heavy loads and stand, dive or squat for long hours in order to extract mineral ore. In quarries, children dig out stones, transport them on their heads and backs and spend long hours crushing stones into smaller pieces to be used in the construction industry,” Ms. Shahinian said.

For the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Najat Maalla M’jid, “the sexual exploitation of children is a serious human rights violation which gravely compromises the integrity, health and development of children, as well as the full enjoyment of their rights. Sexual exploitation of children has a long-lasting impact on the victims.”

“Although States and the whole international community have undertaken, via the ratification of international and regional instruments and other initiatives, to combat this phenomenon, the sexual exploitation of children in countries of all regions persists and reaches sometimes alarming levels,” Ms. Maalla M’jid made clear.

In her view, States should fulfill their responsibility to protect, rehabilitate and reintegrate victims, provide reparation for damage caused to children, to penalize those responsible, to change certain social norms, and to ultimately prevent this phenomenon.

On World Day Against Child Labour, 12 June 2012, Ms. Shahinian and Ms. Maalla M’jid shared the International Labour Organization concerns that efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour are slowing down, and called for a boosted global campaign to end the practice. They also reiterated their support to the various initiatives undertaken in view of achieving the effective abolition of child labour.

Ms. Gulnara Shahinian was appointed as the first Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and consequences in May 2008. She is a lawyer with extensive experience as an expert consultant for various UN, EU, Council of Europe, OSCE and government bodies on children’s rights, gender, migration and trafficking. Ms Shahinian is also a former trustee of the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary forms of Slavery. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Slavery/SRSlavery/Pages/SRSlaveryIndex.aspxMs. Najat Maalla M’jid (Morocco) was appointed Special Rapporteur on the sale of children in May 2008. She is independent from any government or organization. Ms. Maalla M’jid is paediatrician and member of the Commission on the Rights of the Child of the Moroccan National Consultative Council on Human Rights, and the founder of the non-governmental organization BAYTI, the first programme addressing the situation of children living in the street in Morocco.

For additional information and media requests, please contact Elizabeth Wabuge (+41 22 917 9138 / ewabuge@ohchr.org) or write to srslavery@ohchr.org

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Israel: UN Expert Calls for the Release of Two Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike Detained Without Charges

GENEVA (8 June 2012) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Richard Falk expressed deep concern regarding the fate of two Palestinian prisoners, Mahmoud Sarsak and Akram Rikhawi, detained without charges by Israel, and called for their immediate release. Mr. Sarsak is on the 82nd day of his hunger strike and Mr. Rikhawi is on his 58th day.

“These individuals are protesting against their detention without charges and are suffering immensely for it,” said the independent expert designated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. “There is no acceptable basis for continuing to hold these persons, and Israel will be responsible if any permanent harm results.”

“Mr. Sarsak has lost one third of his body weight and Mr. Rikhawi is suffering from aggravated diabetes and asthma,” Mr. Falk noted. “If Israeli officials cannot present evidence to support charges against these men, then they must be released immediately.”

“Israel must end the appalling and unjust treatment of Palestinian prisoners and the international community needs to raise its voice and take steps to end Israel’s flagrant misuse of administrative detention,” the rights expert underscored.

In his view, the series of hunger strikes that started last December “has called attention to Israel’s abusive reliance on administrative detention, but also to conditions that fail to meet legal standards of international humanitarian law for the more than 4,000 Palestinians imprisoned.”

Israel currently has approximately 300 Palestinians detained without charges. “I have requested information regarding each of these persons,” he said, “and I will follow up on each case and address this matter in my forthcoming report to the Human Rights Council,” due on 2 July 2012.

Earlier this year, during his latest mission* to the region, Mr. Falk assessed the Israeli practice of detaining Palestinians without charges. “The Government of Israel calls this ‘administrative detention,’ but it is more honestly termed detention without charges, or arbitrary detention,” the Special Rapporteur said.

Several experts on prison conditions consulted during his February 2012 mission raised concerns regarding physical, verbal and psychological abuse; lack of access to proper medical treatment; medical neglect; widespread use of solitary confinement for extended periods; overcrowding and decrepit cells; and the lack of family visits.

In 2008, the UN Human Rights Council designated Richard Falk (United States of America) as the fifth Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The mandate was originally established in 1993 by the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Special Rapporteur’s end-of-mission statement >
OHCHR Country Page – Occupied Palestinian Territories >
OHCHR Country Page – Israel >

For more information and media requests, please contact Kevin Turner (+41 (0)22 928 9603 / kturner@ohchr.org) or write to sropt@ohchr.org.

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Mexico: UN and regional experts urge government to take action to protect journalists

14 May 2012 – The Mexican Government should implement a new law to protect journalists and human rights defenders, a group of United Nations and regional experts stressed today, adding that authorities must prioritize breaking the cycle of impunity which has led to repeated killings in recent years.

“Human rights defenders in Mexico desperately need the State’s effective protection now,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya. “They continue to suffer killings, attacks, harassment, threats, stigmatization and other serious human rights violations.”

The group of four experts from the UN and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, called on the Government to move ahead with the promulgation of the ‘Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists,’ which seeks to

“guarantee and safeguard the life, integrity and security of human rights defenders and journalists by creating a mechanism with the authority to implement measures to protect those at risk, as well as at preventing such risks from arising in the future.”

“We have to break the cycle of impunity in Mexico, which is becoming an increasingly violent place for journalists,” said UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue. “The recent killing of four press workers in Veracruz underscores the dire need for concrete steps to be taken to guarantee the safety of journalists and put an end to impunity.”

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Senior UN Official Alarmed at Recent Murders of Journalists in Mexico

By UN News Centre

4 May 2012 – The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today voiced alarm and anger over the murders of three Mexican journalists in the state of Veracruz in less than a week.

“I condemn these three murders in the strongest possible terms and urge the Mexican authorities to act quickly and decisively to find those responsible. Impunity is not an option,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The bodies of Gabriel Huge, a photographer formerly from the daily Notiver, and Guillermo Luna Varela, formerly of Veracruznews, were found on 3 May – which is observed annually as World Press Freedom Day – in plastic bags near the banks of a canal in Boca del Rio.

According to two non-governmental groups – the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders – they had been reported missing the day before, after being called out to cover a road accident.

The bodies of two other people, retired photographer Esteban Rodriguez and Irasema Becerra, companion of Mr. Luna, were found nearby.

These latest killings follow the murder on 28 April of Regina Martinez, a correspondent for the weekly magazine Proceso, who was found dead in her home in Xalapa, also in the state of Veracruz. She was known particularly for her in-depth reporting on drug cartels.

The news of the latest murders – less than one week after the assassination of Ms. Martínez – is

“deeply disturbing and reflects an alarming state of affairs in the state of Veracruz,”

said Ms. Bokova.

These three new deaths bring to nine the total number of journalists murdered in the region over the past 18 months, UNESCO said in a news release.

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One Million Syrians in Need of Humanitarian Assistance – UN-Backed Survey

By UN News Centre

29 March 2012 – At least one million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the findings of a government-led assessment mission jointly carried out with the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and released today.

Those in need include people directly affected by the ongoing violence, such as the injured and internally displaced persons, and those of have lost access to essential services and host families, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a summary of the assessment.

Technical staff from eight UN agencies participated in the assessment, which concluded on Monday, as well as three staff from the OIC. The team visited Aleppo, Ar Roqqa, Dara’a, Dayr Az Zor, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Lattakia, Rural Damascus and Tartous governorates. The analysis has already been shared with the Syrian Government.

Information was gathered from civilians, government officials, religious and community leaders, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), and local non-governmental organizations. While some areas could not be accessed due to ongoing insecurity or time constraints, the mission’s members were able to visit opposition-held neighbourhoods, according to OCHA.

Priority needs identified in the assessment include protection, food, medical assistance, non-food items, such as beddings and household essentials, and education.

Syria’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs has approved the delivery of assistance in coordination with the SARC. An initial convoy carrying food, blankets and hygiene kits for 2,000 displaced families left Damascus for the Tartous Governorate yesterday. Delivery is expected to begin tomorrow and further distributions are planned in other locations.

OCHA said that humanitarian efforts must remain completely separate from any political agenda and that UN agencies will continue to ensure the neutrality, independence and impartiality of their humanitarian work. The assessment report also encouraged donors to contribute to the newly established Emergency Response Fund for Syria.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, called for the protection of Syria’s cultural legacy, citing media reports that have indicated possible damage to precious sites during the ongoing conflict.

“I wish to express my grave concern about possible damage to precious sites and to call upon all those involved in the conflict to ensure the protection of the outstanding cultural legacy that Syria hosts on its soil,” said Ms. Bokova. “Damage to the heritage of the country is damage to the soul of its people and its identity.”

A succession of cultures in what is now Syria left an outstanding wealth of archaeological sites, historic cities, cultural landscapes, monuments and works of art that bear witness to the evolution of human ingenuity, according to UNESCO.

Six Syrian sites – Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra, Bosra, the Crac des Chevaliers and Saladin’s Castle, the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria – are inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Many others are inscribed on the country’s Tentative List, such as Apamea – where a number of journalists have reported that the Citadel of Madiq has been bombarded. The so-called Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which a country intends to consider for nomination to the World Heritage List.

Earlier this year, UNESCO reminded the Syrian authorities, through the country’s representative to the agency, of their responsibility to ensure the protection of cultural heritage.

“This situation is becoming more crucial by the hour,” said Ms. Bokova. “I urge the Syrian authorities to respect the international Conventions they have signed, in particular the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Properties in the Event of Armed Conflict, the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, and the World Heritage Convention.”

The UNESCO chief has contacted the World Customs Organization, the international police organization INTERPOL, and the specialized heritage police of France and Italy to alert them to objects from Syria that could appear on the international antiquities market.

“UNESCO stands ready to assist in assessing reports of damage to the cultural heritage of Syria, including the World Heritage sites, and in preparing plans for their safeguarding, as soon as this becomes possible,” she added.

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Food Shortages Most Pressing Human Rights Issue In DPR Korea – UN Expert

12 March 2012 – Chronic food shortages have become the most pressing human rights issue in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), an independent United Nations expert said today, warning that hunger could lead to serious health problems, especially among children, women and the elderly.

“I would underscore the importance of meeting the food shortfall by ensuring that an adequate quantity of food of good quality is available through additional imports by the Government, supported by international agencies and bilateral donors,” said Marzuki Darusman, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in DPRK.

He told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that although it is the primary responsibility of States to ensure that citizens had enough to eat, the international community is obliged to provide humanitarian assistance in times of emergency.

“States should refrain at all times from food embargoes or similar measures that endanger conditions for food production and access to food in other countries,” said Mr. Darusman, urging authorities in the DPRK to invite the UN independent expert on the right to food to visit the country to make appropriate recommendations on how to rectify the conditions that cause food shortages.

He also reported to the Council that no progress has been made in resolving the issue of the abduction of foreign nationals by agents of the DPRK, noting that there are 500 cases of abduction of citizens of the Republic of Korea. The abductees were seized following the ceasefire at the end of the Korean War.

The reinvestigation of 12 cases of Japanese abductees is still pending, Mr. Darusman said, urging DPRK to stand by its commitment to Japan to reinvestigate those cases.

“The urgency of the matter is clear; the abductees are aging, as are their family members in Japan. In this regard, it is important that pressure be maintained on the DPRK until such time as a satisfactory outcome has been achieved,” he said.

On the issue of asylum-seekers from the DPRK, Mr. Darusman urged States to adhere to their international obligation of providing protection to those seeking asylum and respect the principle of non-refoulement – the obligation of States to not forcibly return people where they face persecution or serious harm.

He stressed that the ongoing transition of leadership to Kim Jong-un following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, may be a window of opportunity for DPRK to adopt a reform process and address all issues related to human rights in the country.

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