Arbitrary Detention: UN expert group releases 21 Opinions on detention cases from 17 countries

GENEVA (3 November 2016) – The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released today 21 Opinions concerning 58 individuals in detention in 17 countries. The Opinions were adopted by the expert group during its last session held in Geneva from 22 to 26 August 2016.

The Working Group has a mandate to investigate allegations of individuals being deprived of their liberty in an arbitrary way or inconsistently with international human rights standards, and to recommend remedies such as release from detention and compensation, when appropriate.

The advance unedited version of these Opinions can be found at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Detention/Pages/Opinions76thSession.aspx

The individuals deprived of liberty subject to these Opinions include:

Ms. Rebecca Kabuo, Mr. Juvin Kombi, Mr. Pascal Byumanine, Mr. Innocent Fumbu, Mr. Saïdi Wetemwami Heshima, Mr. Gervais Semunda Rwamakuba, Mr. Nelson Katembo Kalindalo, Mr. Jonathan Kambale Muhasa, Mr. Osée Kakule Kilala, Mr. Jojo Semivumbi, Mr. Serge Syvyavogha Kambale, Mutsunga Kambale, Mr. John Balibisire, Mr. Kasereka Muhiwa, Mr. Kasereka Kamundo, Mr. Bienvenu Matumo and Mr. Marc Héritier Capitaine (DRC)	Opinion No.23/2016
A minor (Israel)	Opinion No. 24/2016
Mr. Mohammad Rafiee (Iran)	Opinion No.25/2016
Mr. Hamo Hassani (Morocco)	Opinion No.26/2016
Mr. Abdelkader Belliraj (Morocco)	Opinion No.27/2016
Mrs. Nazarin Zaghari Ratcliffe (Iran)	Opinion No.28/2016
Mr. Ramze Shihab Ahmed (Iraq)	Opinion No. 29/2016
Mr. Xing Quingxian, Mr. Tang Zhishun and Mr. Bao Zhuoxuan (China)	Opinion No.30/2016
Ms. Milagro Sala (Argentina)	Opinion No.31/2016
Mr. Gary Maui Isherwood (New Zealand)	Opinion No. 32/2016
Mr. Shin Gambira (Myanmar)	Opinion No. 33/2016
Mr. Adil Bakheit, Mr. Al Shazali Ibrahim El Shiekh, Mr. Alhassan Kheiri, Ms. Arwa Elrabie, Ms. Imany Leyla Raye, Ms. Khalafalla Alafif Mukhtar, Mr. Khuzaini Elhadi Rajab, Mr. Midhat Afifi Hamdan, Mr. Mustafa Adam, and Ms. Nudaina Kamal (Sudan)	Opinion No. 34/2016
Ms. Zainab Al-Khawaja (Bahrain)	Opinion No. 35/2016
Mr. Biram Dah Abeid, Mr. Brahim Bilal Ramadane and Mr. Djiby sow (Mauritania)	Opinion No. 36/2016
Mr. Maxim Sakauov, Mr. Evgeniy Mefedov, Mr. Volodymyr Zibnytskyy, Mr. Pavlo Kovshov, Mr. Oleksandr Sukhanov, Mr. Vladislav Ilnytskyy, Mr. Sergey Korchynskyy, Mr. Vladislav Romanyuk, Mr. Oleksandr Dzubenko and Mr. Sergey Doljenkov (Ukraine)	Opinion No. 37/2016
Mr. Ali Salad Mohamed (Somalia)	Opinion No. 38/2016
Mr. Adam al Natour (Jordan)	Opinion No. 39/2016
Ms. Nguyen Dang Minh Man (Vietnam)	Opinion No. 40/2016
Mr. Mahmoud Abu Zaid (Egypt)	Opinion No. 41/2016
Mr. Ahmed Yousry Zaky (Egypt)	Opinion No. 42/2016
Ms. Xia Lin (China)	Opinion No. 43/2016

To access all opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention since it was stablished in 1991, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Detention/Pages/OpinionsadoptedbytheWGAD.aspx 

ENDS

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is comprised of five independent experts from various regions of the world: Mr. Sètondji Roland Jean-Baptiste Adjovi (current Chair-Rapporteur, Benin), Mr. José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez (Vice-Chair on Communications, Mexico), Ms. Leigh Toomey (Vice-Chair on Follow-up, Australia), Mr. Seong-Phil Hong (Republic of Korea) and Ms. Elina Steinerte (Latvia). Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Detention/Pages/WGADIndex.aspx

The Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

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For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /xcelaya@ohchr.org) 

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