A/HRC/27/38 14. Tajikistan 36. The Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment received information on allegations of reprisals committed against individuals who met with him or otherwise cooperated with him during and after his visit to the country in May 2012, despite an agreement he had concluded with the Government that such acts were unacceptable. During his follow-up visit to the country in February 2014, he urged the Government to take all necessary measures to prevent acts of intimidation and reprisal against anyone who sought to cooperate or had cooperated with his mandate, and stated that he expected no allegations to be received by the mandate after his follow-up visit.49 15. United Arab Emirates 37. Osama Al-Najjar is an activist and blogger, and son of Mr. Hossain Al-Najjar, who was tried in a case referred to as “UAE 94” mentioned in my previous report.50 The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention recently adopted opinion 60/2013 on UAE 94 (see para. 45 below). Mr. Al-Najjar met with the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers during her visit to the country between 28 January and 5 February 2014. On 17 March 2014, the day after Mr. Al-Najjar had allegedly expressed criticism via Twitter in relation to the broadcasting of a radio interview with the Ruler of the Sharjah Emirate, he was taken by a dozen men and transferred to a secret detention centre controlled by State security services. It is alleged that he was interrogated and tortured for four days and that a request by the detention centre’s doctor to transfer him to hospital because of severe bleeding was denied. On 21 March 2014, Mr. Al-Najjar was reportedly transferred to Al-Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi and charged with, inter alia, spreading false information.51 In a response received on 13 May 2014 to a joint communication sent on 16 April 2014 by several special procedures mandate holders, the Government requested a two-week extension to allow the competent authorities to complete their full investigation into the case. However, at the time of finalization of the present report, no further response had been received.52 38. On 20 June 2013, a group of special procedures mandate holders raised allegations of acts of intimidation and reprisal against Ahmed Mansoor, a blogger and member of the Human Rights Watch Middle East and North Africa Advisory Committee, following his participation by means of a video statement in a side event during the second universal periodic review of the United Arab Emirates.53 Mr. Mansoor was reportedly prevented from attending the second review of the United Arab Emirates in person as his passport had been confiscated by the authorities. He has allegedly been under surveillance, his e-mail account has been accessed without authorization and he was physically attacked twice, including on the day his video statement was shown at the side event. At the time of finalization of the present report, no reply had been received from the Government. 16. Viet Nam 39. On 19 May 2014, four special procedures mandate holders raised allegations of acts of intimidation and reprisal against Le Cong Cau, head of the Buddhist Youth Movement.54 49 50 51 52 53 54 OHCHR press release, 12 February 2014, available from www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14245&LangID=E. A/HRC/24/29, para. 39. A/HRC/27/72, case ARE 3/2014. Ibid. A/HRC/25/74, case ARE 3/2013. A/HRC/27/72, case VNM 7/2014. 13