GENEVA (27 April 2016) – The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention today has concluded its 75th regular session in Geneva. During the session, the Working Group adopted 22 opinions concerning 100 persons deprived of liberty in 17 countries.

The adopted opinions will be published shortly on the website of the Working Group.

During the session, Mr. Sètondji Roland Jean-Baptiste Adjovi was elected Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Ms. Leigh Toomey was elected Vice-Chair on follow-up on all actions taken by the Working Group; and Mr. José Guevara was elected Vice-Chair on individual complaints. The newly elected Chair Rapporteur and Vice-Chairs will take office on 28 April 2016.

The Working Group will hold its 76th session from 22 to 26 August 2016.

ENDS

The Working Group is comprised of five independent expert members from various regions of the world. The Chair-Rapporteur is Mr. Sètondji Roland Jean-Baptiste Adjovi (Benin); the Vice-Chair on follow-up is Ms. Leigh Toomey; the Vice-Chair on individual complaints is Mr. José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez (Mexico); other members are Mr. Vladimir Tochilovsky (Ukraine) and Mr. Seong-Phil Hong (Republic of Korea).

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 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. In 2010, the Human Rights Council confirmed the scope of the Working Group's mandate and extended it for a further three-year period in September 2013. Learn more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Detention/Pages/WGADIndex.aspx

For more information and media requests, please contact Ms. Audrey Rinaldi (+41 22 917 9225 / arinaldi@ohchr.org) or write to wgad@ohchr.org.

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