One year after: Authorities must comply with Federal High Court decision to release Mubarak Bala on bail
GENEVA (28 April 2021) – UN experts today called on Nigerian authorities to comply with the decision of the Federal High Court to release the prominent humanist and rights defender Mubarak Bala on bail. “Today marks one year since Mr. Bala was arrested and detained in Kano State, without any formal charges, on allegations of blasphemy. His arbitrary detention has continued despite our appeals to the Government in May and July last year,” the human rights experts said. As president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, Mr. Bala had led human rights education campaigns promoting freedom of religion or belief and worked to raise awareness about religious extremism. His arrest on 28 April 2020 followed a petition filed with Kano police a day earlier alleging that he had insulted the Prophet Muhammad in Facebook posts.
Nepal: UN experts express concerns for independence and integrity of the NHRC
GENEVA (27 April 2021) – UN Human rights experts expressed serious concern for the independence of Nepal s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) after the recent appointment of new members that they regard as being inconsistent with international standards. The experts urged the Government to rectify the situation immediately. We are deeply concerned that the appointment process is not in line with international standards and that it undermines the independence, integrity and legitimacy of the NHRC, which restricts the ability of the people of Nepal to access appropriate remedies for alleged human rights violations, the experts said. This will have a chilling effect on civil society actors.
GENEVA (21 April 2021) – A UN expert welcomed Iraq’s adoption of a law to provide reparation to women and girls survivors of atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), but said more needs to be done for children born out of rape during the conflict. The
Law on Yazidi [Female] Survivors, adopted on 1 March 2021, recognizes crimes committed by ISIL against women and girls from the Yazidi, Turkman, Christian and Shabaks minorities – including kidnapping, sexual enslavement, and forced marriage, pregnancy and abortion – as genocide and crimes against humanity. The law provides compensation for survivors, as well as measures for their rehabilitation and reintegration into society and the prevention of such crimes in the future. It also provides for pensions, the provision of land, housing and education, and a quota in public sector employment.
Iraq: UN expert welcomes law to aid ISIL atrocity survivors, but more needs to be done for children born from rape - Iraq reliefweb.int - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reliefweb.int Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UN experts demand “concrete information” on Sheikha Latifa’s fate
GENEVA (20 April 2021) – UN human rights experts today called on the Government of the United Arab Emirates to provide meaningful information on the fate of Sheikha Latifa Mohammed Al Maktoum, as well as assurances of her safety and well-being, without delay. Sheikha Latifa is the daughter of the Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. We are alarmed that, following the public release in February of footage in which Sheikha Latifa reported being deprived of her liberty against her will, and the subsequent official request for further information on her situation, no concrete information has been provided by the authorities, said the experts.