Arbitrary detention: UN expert group to discuss over 30 cases from 21 countries

GENEVA (31 August 2015) – The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention* is meeting in Geneva from 31 August to 4 September 2015, to discuss over 30 cases of alleged deprivation of liberty from 21 different countries.

The expert group will also focus on the upcoming presentation to the Human Rights Council of the new ‘UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Remedies and Procedures on the Right of Anyone Deprived of their Liberty by Arrest or Detention to Bring Proceedings before Court’.

The Principles which cover almost all situations of detention and all groups and individuals, including the most vulnerable, will become a key instrument in international human rights law to promote and protect any person from secret detention; prolonged incommunicado detention, enforced disappearances; and torture. The Working Group will present these Principles at the upcoming session of the Human Rights Council, when it also plans to organize a side event on 15 September 2015.

The Working Group has further plans to meet with representatives of States and civil society organizations to discuss various issues related to its mandate.

Last April, the Group’s five independent experts adopted 21 Opinions during its 72nd session held. These Opinions concern various individuals from different countries. During 2014, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted under its regular procedure, 57 Opinions concerning the detention of 422 persons in 30 countries. It also transmitted a total of 138 urgent appeals to 48 States concerning 435 individuals.

The 73rd session of the Working Group will be held in private at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Palais des Nations.

(*) The Working Group is comprised of five independent expert members from various regions of the world. Its Chair-Rapporteur is Mr. Seong-Phil Hong (from the Republic of Korea). Other members of the Working Group are: Mr. José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez (Vice-Chair on Communications, from Mexico); Mr. Sètondji Roland Adjovi (Vice-Chair on Follow-up, from Benin); Mr. Vladimir Tochilovsky (from Ukraine) and Ms. Leigh Toomey (from Australia).

The Working Group was established by the former Commission on Human Rights in 1991 to investigate instances of alleged arbitrary deprivation of liberty. Its mandate was clarified and extended by the Commission to cover the issue of administrative custody of asylum-seekers and immigrants. On 26 September 2013, by its resolution 24/7, the Human Rights Council extended the Working Group’s mandate for a further three-year period. 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.

For more information and media requests please contact Miguel de la Lama (+ 41 22 917 9289 / wgad@ohchr.org).

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

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