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Resources updated between Monday, March 10, 2014 and Sunday, March 16, 2014
March 15, 2014
In a move which smacks directly of antisemitism, the Arab Group of states is attempting to block the appointment of an Israeli as a UN human rights expert. The subject matter is the rights of the elderly. Dr. Israel Doron has been proposed to become the next UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.
The candidates for the UN independent human rights experts, called "Special Procedures", are vetted by the UN Human Rights Council Consultative Group which submits to the President of the Council a list of candidates "who possess the highest qualifications and meet the general criteria and particular requirements". On the basis of the recommendations of the Consultative Group and following consultations, the President identifies a candidate and presents it to the Council for approval.
Dr. Doron's appointment has been recommended by both the Consultative Group and the President of the Council.
However, on March 13, 2014, Yemen, acting on behalf of the Arab group, circulated the following letter to the President of the Council:
Arab states attempt to block Israeli from UN human rights post Development
March 14, 2014
"Prominent Chinese human rights activist Cao Shunli, detained in September for staging sit-ins at the country's foreign ministry, has died, a fellow dissident and one of her lawyers said on Friday, after she was denied medical treatment in detention...
The news comes soon after the start of a session in Geneva of the U.N. Human Rights Council, a body to which China was elected amid controversy last November.
'On Sept 14 ... she was perfectly fine and going to Europe for a trip. Now she's gone. Cao Shunli's wishes were never accomplished,' dissident Hu Jia told Reuters...
She went missing in mid-September after authorities prevented her from flying to Geneva for a human rights training program. She was formally arrested in October on suspicion of 'picking quarrels and provoking troubles', the watchdog group Human Rights in China said.
Cao's family saw wounds on her body, Liu Weiguo, a lawyer who has been acting for Cao, told Reuters, citing another of her lawyers, Wang Yu. But it is unclear how they were inflicted.
'The hospital is not willing to let the lawyer and the family look at the body,' Liu said."
Well-known Chinese dissident dies after being denied treatment Document
March 13, 2014
"This year women human rights defenders from Iran are facing ongoing intimidation that continues to prevent them from attending the United Nations conference in New York. Highlighting conditions for women on-the-ground worldwide, over 8,000 attendees are now coming together for the UN conference in New York through March 21. This is the 58th year for the Commission on the Status of Women, a conference that is almost as old as the UN itself...
'...there were some very disturbing things that happened at the CSW this year. They included moments that could have accelerated to very unsafe conditions for panelists, and for event attendees,' said human rights journalist and WNN – Women News Network founder Lys Anzia in a confidential letter to someone connected to high levels at the UN in April 2010 as she witnessed first-hand the harassment of Iranian women delegates who came to attend the UN CSW conference in 2010.
'One of those women delegates was later arrested some months after her return to Iran,' said Anzia recently...
The dangers for Iranian women, and other women worldwide, who speak out against injustice is real, experts convey."
Iran women rights defenders stay away from UN conference in fear of reprisals Document
On March 11 and 12, 2014 the UN Human Rights Council held an "interactive dialogue" with Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the freedom of religion or belief. The event proved to be an excellent opportunity for Iran to conceal and distort its appalling record on religious freedom.
Iran said:
"My delegation believes that respect is the key term for understanding human rights particularly for freedom of religion. Under freedom of religion or belief states have an obligation to promote interreligious communication. By the same token all forms of racism racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance constitute serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
And this is how Iran respects freedom of religion according to the 2013 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report:
Archenemy of religious freedom Iran preaches respect for freedom of religion at UN's top rights body Development
On March 11 and 12, 2014 the UN Human Rights Council held an "interactive dialogue" with Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the freedom of religion or belief. The event proved to be an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to conceal and distort its appalling record on religious freedom.
Pakistan, speaking for the Organization of the Islamic Conference said:
"All religions are sacred and merit equal protection double standards must be avoided. The OIC demands similar sanctity for all religions."
Pakistan's record on religious freedoms, according to the 2013 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report, includes the following abuses:
On March 11 and 12, 2014 the UN Human Rights Council held an "interactive dialogue" with Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the freedom of religion or belief. The event proved to be an excellent opportunity for China to conceal and distort its appalling record on religious freedom.
China said:
"The Special Rapporteur raised manifestations of collective religious hatred, which deserves high attention. China is always against extremism in religion. We are against religions and other things based in violence prejudice and intolerance. We call on international community to fight against religion based discrimination and violence. China is for policy and implements this policy of religious freedom. Civilians believing or not and religions have equal rights and responsibilities. We treat all the religions equally. China protects all the religious rights of all religious groups, encourages strengthening of cooperation among religions. In China believers and no believers they can respect each other and co-exist harmoniously."
The actual situation of religious freedoms in China according to the 2013 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report includes the following:
At UN Rights Council, member China falsifies credentials on religious freedom Development
March 12, 2014
The UN's top rights body Human Rights Council is currently holding its 25th session in Geneva, Switzerland. On March 12, 2014 the UN Human Rights Council held an "interactive dialogue" with Heiner Bielefeldt, UN's Special Rapporteur on the freedom of religion or belief.
Sudan, whose president Omar al-Bashir has been charged with three counts of genocide against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups (non-Arab black population of Sudan) by the International Criminal Court and remains at large, made the following statement:
Genocidal Sudan preaches "religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence" at UN's top rights body Development
March 11, 2014
The UN 's top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, has no conditions for membership - so human rights violators are keen to run and are elected to direct "human rights" attention away from themselves. The NGO Freedom House carefully ranks countries free, partly free and not free using a detailed analysis of political and civil liberties. Currently there are 11 countries with the worst possible rating of "not free" that are members of the Council. One of them is Cuba.
Cuba was elected to serve a 3-year term on November 12, 2013 when 148 UN member states, out of 193 UN General Assembly members, voted in favor of Cuba's candidacy. In fact, this is Cuba's third term on the UN Council since its establishment in 2006, amounting to 6 years serving as a UN human rights authority, to date.
This is just some of what the most recent State Department report says about human rights in Cuba:
UN Human Rights Council member Cuba guilty of violations of fundamental human rights Development
The UN 's top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, has no conditions for membership - so human rights violators are keen to run and are elected to direct "human rights" attention away from themselves. The NGO Freedom House carefully ranks countries free, partly free and not free using a detailed analysis of political and civil liberties. Currently there are 11 countries with the worst possible rating of "not free" that are members of the Council. One of them is the Congo.
The Congo was elected to serve a 3-year term on May 20, 2011 when 176 UN member states, out of 193 UN General Assembly members, voted in favor of the Congo's candidacy. This is the Congo's first term on the UN Council since its establishment in 2006.
This is just some of what the most recent State Department report says about human rights in the Congo:
Rape is commonplace in the Congo, a member of the UN's top rights body Development
"A Saudi court Sunday jailed an Islamist for eight years on charges of inciting protests, mocking the monarch and criticising the security services on Twitter, official news agency SPA reported. The defendant, who was not identified, had been convicted of inciting 'families of those arrested for security reasons to protest by publishing Tweets and videos on YouTube,' justice ministry spokesman Fahd al-Bakran was quoted by SPA as saying. Prosecutors also found the defendant guilty of 'mocking' King Abdullah, Saudi scholars and the judiciary, as well as criticising security services for arresting 'promoters of extremist ideology.' In addition to the jail sentence, the court banned the defendant from travelling for eight years and posting on social media."
Saudi Arabia Jails Islamist for 8 Years for Twitter Protest Call Document
March 10, 2014
The UN 's top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, has no conditions for membership - so human rights violators are keen to run and are elected to direct "human rights" attention away from themselves. The NGO Freedom House carefully ranks countries free, partly free and not free using a detailed analysis of political and civil liberties. Currently there are 11 countries with the worst possible rating of "not free" that are members of the Council. One of them is China.
China was elected to serve a 3-year term on November 12, 2013 when 176 UN member states, out of 193 UN General Assembly members, voted in favor of China's candidacy. In fact, this is China's third term on the UN Council since its establishment in 2006, amounting to 6 years serving as a UN human rights authority, to date.
This is just some of what the most recent State Department report says about human rights in China:
Despite Gross Human Rights Violations, China Is a Member of UN Human Rights Council Development
The UN 's top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, has no conditions for membership - so human rights violators are keen to run and are elected to direct "human rights" attention away from themselves. The NGO Freedom House carefully ranks countries free, partly free and not free using a detailed analysis of political and civil liberties. Currently there are 11 countries with the worst possible rating of "not free" that are members of the Council. One of them is Algeria.
Algeria was elected to serve a 3-year term on November 12, 2013 when 164 UN member states, out of 193 UN General Assembly members, voted in favor of Algeria's candidacy. In fact, this is Algeria's second term on the UN Council since its establishment in 2006.
This is just some of what the most recent State Department report says about human rights in Algeria:
Abuse Of Women is rampant in Algeria though country is a member of UN rights council Development
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has objected to the top candidate proposed by a cross-regional group to replace Richard Falk as the UN special rapporteur on Israel. Pakistan, acting on behalf of the OIC, has circulated the following letter on March 6, 2014:
"Excellency,
I am writing this letter to you in my capacity as the OIC Coordinator on human rights and humanitarian issues. I would like to invite your attention towards recently recommended list of the mandate holders by the Consultative Group...
Unfortunately, the Consultative Group has recommended the name of a candidate as a Special Rapporteur on the 'situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967' who has no expertise nor relevant experience of the Middle East situation. This recommendation of the Consultative Group is a violation of the IB package. It is, therefore, unacceptable to the OIC."
Islamic states try to hold up Human Rights Council appointment because of absence of known anti-Israel bias Development
"The Iranian Judiciary should release student activists Shafipour and Bahareh Hedayat, along with the eight other women held in Tehran's Evin Prison's political prisoners' ward Nesvan, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. 'There is no justification for these young women to languish in prison for precisely the kind of positive engagement that International Women's Day is meant to promote,' said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Campaign. A student activist and member of Mehdi Karroubi's 2009 election campaign, Maryam Shafipour was arrested on July 27, 2013. On March 1, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to seven years' imprisonment and two years' ban on 'cyberspace, media, and press activities.' Hedayat, a student and women's rights activist, has been serving a nine-year prison term since December 2009... Maryam Shafipour's recent sentencing for the political charges of 'propaganda against the regime' and 'assembly and collusion against national security' included an unheard of ban on participating in cyberspace, a dangerous precedent for political activists and dissidents in Iran."
Release Shafipour, Hedayat, and All Other Women Prisoners of Conscience Document