United Nations                                                

UN Human Rights Official Urges Uzbekistan Not To Execute Detainees

The senior  human rights official has called on the government of Uzbekistan not to execute detainees who have appealed their convictions to the UN Human Rights Committee.

In a letter to the government sent on 4 July, Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan recalled that the Committee, an 18-member panel of independent experts, had requested stays of execution in relation to a number of prisoners while it considered their petitions.

Mr. Ramcharan urged the government to make all necessary efforts in order to ensure strict observance of its international human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocol and to cooperate fully with the Special Procedures.

Mr. Ramcharan is acting chief during High Commissioner Sergio Vieira de Mello's temporary absence in Iraq, where he is serving as Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special representative.

UNITED NATIONS:

United States: UN Rights Expert Expresses Alarm Over Military Trial Of Detainees

A senior United Nations rights expert today expressed alarm over reports that 6 detainees may be brought to trial before a military commission by the United States Government, saying such "drastic measures to counter terrorism" are in defiance of the world body's resolutions.

The detainees were last week declared liable for a military tribunal as suspected members of Al-Qaeda or "otherwise involved in terrorism directed against the United States."

"In proceeding to apply these drastic measures to counter terrorism, the United States Government is seen defying United Nations resolutions," Dato' Param Cumaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers of UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) said in a statement in Geneva.

"These resolutions reiterate and affirm that States must ensure that any measure taken to combat terrorism must be in accordance with international law including international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law," he added.

UNHCR said the Special Rapporteur, in November of 2001, sent an urgent appeal to the US Government concerning the order establishing the military tribunals expressing concern over fair trial procedures, the selection of those who sit on the commission, and appeal procedures, which violate fundamental principles of judicial independence. The US Government has not responded to that appeal.