A/HRC/48/28 unauthorized assembly” and “organizing an unauthorized assembly” at the Hong Kong District Court on 1 October 2019, which was deemed not peaceful and endangered public order, an offence punishable by up to five years imprisonment. 30. Regarding Mr. Shen Youlian, male, age 68, from Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, a retired worker of the Guiyang Flour Company, the Government stated that the Chinese judiciary has not taken any compulsory measure against him and there is no such a thing as “detention” or “suppression”. Concerning Ms. Li Qiaochu, female, age 30, from Beijing, in February 2021, she was legally examined by a public security organ for an alleged criminal offence. At present, the case is under further investigation. 7. Democratic Republic of the Congo 31. During the reporting period, the Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) documented five incidents of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the Mission, affecting a total of 53 individuals, including 32 women. Names and further details are withheld due to fear of further reprisals. 32. All incidents were documented in the conflict-affected eastern provinces. Of the five cases reported, one was in North Kivu (Beni Territory), three in South Kivu (Kalehe, Uvira and Shabunda Territories) and one in Tanganyika Province (Bendera territory). Three were allegedly perpetrated by armed groups, one by Congolese armed forces, and one by unidentified armed elements. Reprisals included death threats, kidnapping and arbitrary arrest. Victims in four cases involved human rights defenders. The fifth case targeted 48 victims of human rights violations participating in a trial. These formed part of a wider pattern of continued restrictions documented by UNJHRO on the exercise of fundamental freedoms.22 Names and further details are withheld due to fear of further reprisals. 8. Egypt 33. Multiple UN actors during the reporting period drew attention to the targeting and prolonged detention of victims of alleged reprisals for cooperation with the UN, including through the justification of counter-terrorism and national security legislation. In July 2020, special procedures mandate holders addressed the situations of several detained individuals, including three mentioned in this report being held on terrorism-related charges following their cooperation with the Working Group of Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, the Forum on Minority Issues and the UPR (see Annex II). Mandate holders noted disproportionate restrictions in communication with family members, pre-trial detentions renewed in absentia, and grave risk of contracting COVID-19 (EGY 10/2020). On 22 January 2021, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders stated that “The use of prolonged pre-trial detention and misuse of anti-terrorism and national security laws to criminalise the work of civil society actors must end” (see also EGY 2/2021).23 34. On 20 November 2020, the Spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted a “broader pattern of intimidating organizations defending human rights and of the use of counter-terrorism and national security legislation to silence dissent,” noting the use of “sweeping counter-terrorism laws and vague charges such as ‘joining a terrorist organization’ and ‘spreading false information’ to harass and criminalize the work of human rights defenders.”24 During the 46th session of the Human Rights Council, a group of 26 Member States called for the release of two individuals included in the present report who were detained in relation to their cooperation with the UN (see Annex II), among others, and “recall[ed] the need to counter terrorism in full respect of international human rights.”25 In another statement, a group of 31 Member States stated they were “deeply concerned about 22 23 24 25 A/HRC/45/49. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26682&LangID=E. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26523&LangID=E. Item 4, General Debate, 32nd Meeting, 46th Regular Session Human Rights Council, at https://media.un.org/en/asset/k14/k141uwvm66 (time stamp 00:42:30). 27