Press briefing notes on Mali

As the human rights situation in Mali remains of serious concern, our office is deploying human rights experts to monitor the situation on the ground.

Three human rights experts have already arrived in Bamako to support the human rights activities undertaken by the UN Office in Mali (UNOM).

In addition, a 4-person team will be deployed to Mali as of February 17 for a 2 weeks mission. This fact-finding mission will investigate allegations of human rights abuses, including allegations of retaliatory violence. It will follow up on a first mission which was deployed to Mali and its neighbouring countries in November 2012, and documented various human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, rape and torture. The findings of the two missions will be presented by the High Commissioner to the Human Rights Council at its 22nd session (25 February-22 March 2013).

We reiterate our call on all parties to the conflict to abide by humanitarian law and international human rights, and to prevent acts of revenge and retaliation.

ENDS

For more information or media requests, please contact Cécile Pouilly (+ 41 22 917 9310 / cpouilly@ohchr.org)

UN Human Rights, follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Storify: http://storify.com/UNrightswire

Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en