A/HRC/51/47 Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) that registered the case of her husband in 2010 (LKA 2/2018).184 143. On 17 November 2021, special procedures mandate holders addressed allegations of intimidation for cooperation with the United Nations against Ms. Ekneligoda following a letter she received dated 4 August 2021 from the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) asking her to disclose her private correspondence with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the WGEID (SLK 5/2021). Mandate holders enquired why Ms. Ekneligoda had been requested by the OMP to disclose her private correspondence with the WGEID and how this request was compatible with her rights to privacy and safety as well as unhindered access to and communication with the United Nations. They expressed concern that such a request could discourage other victims and relatives from engaging with the United Nations and lead to self-censorship. The case of Mr. Ekneligoda with the WGEID remains pending (SLK 5/2021). 144. On 25 January 2022, the Government replied 185 to mandate holders providing information about the court case of the disappearance of Ms. Ekneligoda’s husband. It informed that in December 2019 Ms. Ekneligoda had lodged a complaint with the OMP on the disappearance of her husband and the verification that followed deemed that there was not enough information to draw a conclusion. According to the Government, the OMP letter to Ms. Ekneligoda only invited her to share voluntarily any documents she may have shared with other bodies, such as the WGEID, and at no point she was intimidated or coerced into sharing information. The Government further held that the objective of the request was to obtain more information with a view to investigate the complaint. 25. Thailand 145. The alleged enforced disappearance of Mr. Od Sayavong was included in the 2021 and 2020 reports of the Secretary-General.186 Mr. Sayavong, a Lao refugee recognized by UNHCR living in Bangkok and a former member of “Free Lao”, a group of Lao migrant workers and human rights defenders in Thailand, had engaged with the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights prior to his visit in March 2019 (THA 8/2019; LAO 2/2019). Mandate-holders addressed the lack of progress in the search and investigation on this and other cases (THA 8/2020; LAO 4/2020). According to information received by OHCHR, during the reporting period, relatives of Mr. Sayavong’s were informed that the investigation on his disappearance was closed citing no new evidence. They were advised that the case file could be re-opened once the family brings new evidence to the police attention. 146. On 11 July 2022, the Government responded providing information about the investigation into the allegation of the disappearance of Mr. Od Sayavong. It concluded that all existing evidence and facts indicate neither the death nor whereabout of Mr. Sazavong, and that should there be new evidence or information the investigation could be resumed. 26. Turkmenistan 147. The case of Mr. Nurgeldi Halykov, an independent journalist, was included in the 2021 report of the Secretary-General187 on allegations of judicial harassment and a four-years prison sentence on fraud charges shortly after he had shared of information on social media about the visit a World Health Organization (WHO) delegation to Turkmenistan in July 2020 to study the COVID-19 pandemic situation (TKM 1/2021). Mandate holders expressed concern that the reason for Mr. Halykov’s imprisonment was his dissemination of information about the WHO visit. Highlighting a tightly controlled media environment and the extensive surveillance system reportedly in place, mandate holders noted common under- 184 185 186 187 A/HRC/40/60/Add.1, para. 414. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=36775. A/HRC/45/36, Annex I, paras. 68–69 and A/HRC/48/28, Annex II, paras.128–130. A/HRC/48/28, Annex I, paras. 107–109. 67