Amal Basha

Cases

Relevant SG report

From Country

Country Geolocation

Latitude: 15.552727

Longitude: 48.516388

From Region

UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report

Individual's/organization's activity: Chair of the Sisters’ Arab Forum for Human Rights. The forum is an NGO which monitors and documents cases of torture in Yemen.

Type of rights defended

Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?: No

Reported trigger of reprisal: The attacks and acts of intimidation may be the result of the intervention of Ms. Basha on 24 September 2009 at the Human Rights Council, during the adoption of the universal periodic review report on Yemen. The Sisters’ Arab Forum for Human Rights also presented a shadow report to the Committee against Torture at its forty-third session, held from 2 to 20 November 2009, which had been prepared in collaboration with 13 other Yemeni human rights organizations.

Engagement with UN body

Type of attempted engagement

Reprisal information: On 20 and 21 November 2009, Ms. Basha received a number of anonymous intimidating phone calls. On 17 November 2009, the rear brakes of her car were allegedly tampered with. Furthermore, Ms. Basha was the subject of a simulated acid attack when she was leaving the Criminal Court where she had been observing the trial of a political activist.

Types of reprisals suffered

Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?: No

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?: No

Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?: No

Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?: No

Follow up information provided in SG report 0

With regard to the case of Amal Basha, the Chairperson of the non-governmental organization Sisters’ Arab Forum for Human Rights referred to in my previous report,40 the Committee against Torture, in its concluding observations on Yemen,41 expressed its serious concern at information of threats against, and intimidation and harassment of, members of the organization, which had coordinated an alternative joint submission to the Committee and also briefed the latter during its session. The Committee was also concerned that such threats and intimidation might be related to the peaceful activities of the organization in promoting and protecting human rights, and in particular with monitoring and documenting cases of torture. The Committee deeply regretted the fact that the State party had not replied to the letter sent by the Committee Chairperson on 3 December 2009, in which the attention of the State party was drawn to this issue. The Committee then reiterated its request to the State party, as a matter of urgency, to provide information on the measures taken to implement, especially with regard to members of the Sisters’ Arab Forum for Human Rights, articles 12, 13 and 16 of the Convention against Torture and paragraph 20 of the Committee’s final concluding observations.92. At the time of completion of the present report, no reply had been received from the Government of Yemen.

Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0