WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION TO HOLD 50th SESSION

Geneva, 20 November 2007-- The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will hold its 50th session from 21 to 30 November 2007 in Geneva during which it will examine, in closed session, more than 25 individual cases of detention around the world. The Panel will also receive representatives of Governments and non-governmental organizations.

The session will devote particular attention to themes such as the detention of immigrants and asylum-seekers; the use of detention in the fight against terrorism; the obligation to protect vulnerable groups in detention, and the necessity to maintain proper registries in police stations, prisons and other detention facilities.

The Working Group is composed of five independent experts appointed according to criteria governing equitable geographical distribution which apply in the United Nations. It is headed by Ms. Leïla Zerrougui (Algeria) as Chairperson-Rapporteur and is composed of Soledad Villagra de Biedermann (Paraguay), Manuela Carmena Castrillo (Spain), Tamás Bán (Hungary, Vice-Chairperson), and Seyed Mohammed Hashemi (Islamic Republic of Iran).

Established by the Commission on Human Rights in 1991 to investigate instances of alleged arbitrary deprivation of liberty, the Group’s mandate was extended in 1997 to cover the issue of administrative custody of asylum-seekers and immigrants. In 2006, The Human Rights Council further extended its mandate for a three-year period.

For more information, including previous reports of the Working Group, please consult OHCHR Fact-Sheet N° 26 or visit the following Internet address:
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/7/b/mard.htm