A/HRC/54/61 Secretary-General since 201780 with references to the misuse of the Terrorist Entities Law (Law 8 of 2015) and the Anti-Terrorism Law (Law 94 of 2015) to inhibit or punish cooperation with the UN as well as to the use of travel bans. 81 According to information received by OHCHR, the use of travel bans under national security legislation has become a significant obstacle for civil society actors based in Egypt to cooperate with the UN. During the reporting period, travel bans severely limited the ability of civil society actors and human rights defenders to engage with the UN outside the country and led to self-censorship for fear of retribution. In March 2023, the UN Human Rights Committee82 expressed concern that significant numbers of activists and human rights defenders perceived as critical of the Government have been subjected to arbitrary travel bans and asset freezes under counterterrorism legislation. The Committee urged Egypt to ensure that human rights defenders and civil society actors and organizations can operate safely, and lift travel bans and asset freezes against them. 12. Guatemala 58. Alleged acts of reprisals against judges and prosecutors who worked on cases investigated with the technical assistance of the the International Commission against Impunity (CICIG) have been included since 2019 in the Secretary-General’s reports83 During the reporting period, UN actors noted developments on ongoing cases or situations included in previous reports. 59. In its 2023 report to the Human Rights Council, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) noted an alarming increase in the number of justice officials who were the target of attacks related to their role in cases of corruption and serious human rights violations, including the cases below. The report also noted online defamation and slander campaigns against justice officials (A/HRC/52/23, paras. 60–63).84 60. Alleged reprisals continued against prosecutors from the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI) who investigated cases in collaboration with the CICIG, and two of their lawyers. 61. The case of Ms. Virginia Laparra, former FECI chief in Quetzaltenango, was included in the 2022 report of the Secretary-General85 on allegations of arrest and arbitrary detention for her work with the FECI in high-profile corruption cases against public officials and organized crime, including many investigated with the technical assistance of the CICIG (GTM 1/2022).86 On 22 and 25 November 2022, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers expressed concern over the criminalisation of Ms. Laparra noting that the proceedings had been characterised by violations to due process and an excessive use of pretrial detention, amongst others (GTM 6/2022).87 62. According to information received by OHCHR, on 16 December 2022, Ms. Laparra was convicted and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, commutable, and barred from holding public office for four years for abuse of authority. Between October 2022 and January 2023, Ms. Laparra received an arrest warrant for a second criminal case against her and criminal proceedings were initiated accusing her of leaking confidential information in a hearing as FECI prosecutor. On 3 January 2023, the judge in charge of Ms. Laparra’s case 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 56 A/HRC/36/31, Annex I, para. 33; A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, paras. 49–50; A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, paras. 50–53; A/HRC/48/28, Annex II paras. 50–53; A/HRC/51/47 Annex II, para. 73. A/HRC/48/28, Annex II paras. 50–52. CCPR/C/EGY/CO/5, paras. 49–50. A/HRC/42/30, Annex I, paras. 40–42; A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, paras. 56–59; A/HRC/48/28, Annex II, paras. 53–61; A/HRC/51/47, Annex I. paras. 27–30, Annex II, paras. 74–79. See also GTM 4/2022; E/C.12/GTM/CO/4, para. 6; and A/HRC/53/9, paras. 90.37–90-52; https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=37232. A/HRC/51/47, Annex I, paras. 27–30. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=36970. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27705; https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/11/guatemala-un-expert-condemns-targetingprosecutor-and-judge. GE.23-15378