A/HRC/39/41
online threats and online gender-based violence, including rape threats. A Twitter accoun t
has repeatedly tweeted to Ms Ismail saying that they would rape her and violently harm her
if they saw her on the road. The special procedures expressed concern that the
investigations launched against her may constitute acts of reprisals for her cooperation with
the Human Rights Council, and for her human rights work through the exercise of her righ t
to freedom of expression.
72.
The Government addressed the allegations on 23 July 2018 and confirmed t h at t h e
Maldives police service launched a criminal investigation against Ms Ismail for allegatio n s
of attempting to disrupt the religious unit of the citizens of Maldives and co nv ersin g an d
acting in a manner likely to cause religious segregation amongst the people. After
completing the investigation, the police forwarded the case to th e Pro s ecuto r Gen eral’s
office where the Office determined that they could not find enough g ro un ds t o p ursue a
criminal charge against Ms Ismail or to have the charge proven in a court of law. Th e cas e
has since been filed by the police. With regard to the allegations of death threats and
intimidation through social media, a police investigation is ongoing and the case is b ein g
treated as serious, but the investigation is facing difficulties in obtaining t h e in fo rmat io n
because the Facebook and Twitter accounts were fake. The Government also reported t h at
Ms Ismail is no longer being provided with personal security services by the Internal
Security Command of the Maldives Police Service pursuant to her request in writin g o f 11
March 2018.
17.
Mali
73.
According to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission
in Mali (MINUSMA), there have been cases of repris als perpetrated by state actors as well
as non-state armed groups against individuals who collaborate with the Unit ed Nat io ns. 12
Intimidation and death threats are strategies that have been used by terrorist and ext remis t
armed groups to threaten populations for any collaboration with national and internatio nal
forces as well as State actors, including MINUSMA.
74.
On 26 October 2017, the chief of Boulkessi village (close to the Burkina Faso
border, Mondoro commune, Douentza cercle, Mopti region) who is a s ource of information
for the MINUSMA Human Rights and Protection Division, reported that he h ad receiv ed
threats relating directly to his cooperation with them regarding an investigation into
allegations of extra-judicial executions committed by Forces Armées Maliennes (FAMa). It
is alleged that he received three threatening phone calls from unknown callers whose voices
were disguised, and who referred to his collaboration with the investigation. The chief h ad
reported the location of a mass grave containing bodies of four individuals killed by armed
forces in an extrajudicial execution then he began to receive these threats.
75.
On 2 December 2017, six unidentified armed elements shot and killed the SecretaryGeneral of the Mayor of Dioungani commune (Koro cercle, Mopti region), and it is
believed that the victim may have been targeted for being an informer to the armed fo rces
and/or international forces, including MINUSMA. At the time of writing an inv es t ig at io n
was ongoing.
76.
Between 9 and 11 April 2018, MINUSMA conducted a special mission t o M énaka
to meet with representatives of civil society and victims of human rig h ts ab uses d urin g
“counter-terrorism operations” conducted by elements of the Mouvement pour le Salu t d e
l’Azawad (MSA) and the Groupe autodéfense touareg Imghad et alliés (GA TIA ), in t h e
region since June 2017. The village chief of Akabar who met with the MINUSMA team
reported that on 13 April 2018 he was contacted by the MSA Chief of Staff and was
questioned and intimidated because of his cooperation with MINUSMA.
18.
Morocco
77.
In a decision of 15 November 2016 (CAT/C/59/D/606/2014) the Committee again s t
Torture found that Morocco was responsible for violations of Art . 1 an d 12 t o 16 o f t h e
Convention against Torture in the case of Naâma Asfari v. Morocco, in which Mr. Ennaâma
Asfari, a Sahrawi human rights defender currently in detention, was the pet it io ner. Sin ce
12
32
MINUSMA, “ Malgré la mise en œuvre de l’Accord pour la paix, la situation des droits de l’homme
demeure préoccupante au Mali, Bamako, le 1er février 2018”.
GE.18-13325