United Kingdom: UN expert raises alarm over abuse of Close Supervision Centres
GENEVA (10 May 2021) – A UN human rights expert today raised concerns about the holding of prisoners for prolonged or indefinite periods in isolation in restrictive control units, known as Close Supervision Centres (CSC), calling on the British Government to review and regulate their use.
“The decision-making process is reportedly not transparent, the segregation period is not delimited, the procedure for reintegration back into the general prison population is not clear and the conditions of detention are comparable to solitary confinement,” said Nils Melzer, the Special Rapporteur on torture. He said the use of CSC’s runs contrary to the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and risks amounting to arbitrary detention.
Cambodia: UN expert condemns conviction of three environmental rights defenders, urges their release
GENEVA (7 May 2021) – A UN expert today condemned a decision by a Cambodian court to sentence three environmental human rights defenders to jail terms of up to 20 months and urged the Government to release them immediately and unconditionally.
The convicted human rights defenders - Mr. Thun Ratha, Ms. Long Kunthea and Ms. Phuon Keoraksmey – are members of Mother Nature Cambodia (MNC), a non-governmental organization that advocates for the protection and preservation of Cambodia s natural environment and supports local communities in defending those rights.
The three, who were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal court on charges of incitement to create social chaos, had been in pre-trial detention for eight months before the conviction.
Myanmar: UN expert urges States to impose arms embargo
GENEVA (7 May 2021) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, today welcomed the call by a broad number of civil society organizations to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar s military junta, and encouraged States to take their own actions immediately. Stopping the flow of weapons and dual-use weapons technology into the hands of the military junta of Myanmar is literally a matter of life and death. There is no time to lose, said Andrews. I applaud the efforts of more than 200 organisations to bring this to the attention of the UN Security Council. Action to stop the flow of deadly weapons into the hands of those who are using them to massacre their own people is needed now.
Cambodia: UN expert condemns conviction of three environmental rights defenders, urges their release
GENEVA (7 May 2021) – A UN expert today condemned a decision by a Cambodian court to sentence three environmental human rights defenders to jail terms of up to 20 months and urged the Government to release them immediately and unconditionally.
The convicted human rights defenders - Mr. Thun Ratha, Ms. Long Kunthea and Ms. Phuon Keoraksmey – are members of Mother Nature Cambodia (MNC), a non-governmental organization that advocates for the protection and preservation of Cambodia s natural environment and supports local communities in defending those rights.
The three, who were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal court on charges of incitement to create social chaos, had been in pre-trial detention for eight months before the conviction.
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