A/HRC/24/29 response, the Committee stated that some civil society representatives had expressed concern about threats, including death threats, made against colleagues who had submitted reports to the Committee.14 While the Committee did not impute any such action to the current Government, it stated that it would be very grateful if the Government could reaffirm its determination to protect civil society. The State party responded that such reports were a matter of grave concern and that the law enforcement authorities would undertake a full investigation of any threats to representatives of civil society. The Government would offer protection to all citizens, regardless of their political beliefs; it also pointed out that, in recent months, for example, it had provided close personal protection, including bodyguards, to members of the opposition.15 6. Morocco 27. On 20 September 2012, during an official visit to Morocco, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment interviewed Ali Aarrass in Salé I Prison, in Rabat. The forensic doctor accompanying the Special Rapporteur examined marks on Mr. Aarrass’s body and observed that, although he was unable to identify them unequivocally as signs of torture, they were clearly compatible with the allegations of ill-treatment made by Mr. Aarrass. According to information submitted to the Special Rapporteur, following that meeting, Mr. Aarrass was transferred to Salé II Prison, where a prison guard reportedly harassed him to make him relate the details of his discussions with the Special Rapporteur. On 21 September 2012, Mr. Aarrass allegedly filed a complaint against the said prison guard with the prison authorities. On the following day, the prison authorities reportedly threatened and pressured Mr. Aarrass to withdraw his complaint, which he eventually did. The harassment and threats, including of rape and making his life in prison impossible, however, reportedly continued.16 7. Philippines 28. Secretary-General of Panalidan! Mindanao, a network of environmental and land rights defenders and Benedictine nun based in Mati, Davao Oriental, in Mindanao, Stella Matutina is involved in grass-roots education and advocacy, and lobbying efforts to defend indigenous communities from commercial logging and large-scale mining projects. Panalidan! also supports environmental rights defenders who receive death threats and are victims of acts of harassment because of their human rights activities. It is alleged that Ms. Matutina has been subjected to several incidents of threat and harassment and that, since she was a member of the Philippine UPR Watch delegation to discuss the human rights situation in Mindanao in the context of a side event during the nineteenth session of the Human Rights Council, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines accuse Ms. Matutina of being a member of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the communist party.17 8. Russian Federation 29. Several United Nations human rights experts have raised concerns about the law on non-governmental organizations adopted in November 2012, under which all foreignfunded non-commercial organizations may be branded as “foreign agents” if they are considered to have engaged in “political activities”. They also referred to the use of the term “foreign agents”, which can lead to increased stigmatization and vulnerability to acts 14 15 16 17 CCPR/C/MDV/CO/1, para. 26. CCPR/C/SR.2902, para.41. A/HRC/23/51, p. 11. See A/HRC/23/51, p. 34.communication of 28 December 2012 9