A/HRC/39/41 persons. Both men were informed that a warrant had been issued for their arrest, before being handcuffed, blindfolded and taken to an unknown location. Mr. Amara and Mr. AlTamimi were severely beaten, insulted and threatened while being interrogated about their work for around two hours, before being released. The special procedures also raised concerns over reports that other employees of Al Wissam had previously been subjected to intimidation and reprisals relating to the submission of cases to the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, and some had left the country out of fear for their security. 29. On 10 April 2018, three special procedures mandate holders raised allegations of death threats and attempted killing against Mr. Al Tamimi and Mr. Al Roumy in what appears to be direct retaliation for their legitimate human rights work against enforced disappearances in Iraq and for urging the State to join the International Criminal Court (IRQ 2/2018). While recognising the independent judicial character of the International Criminal Court, the Court is regarded as a related organization in the United Nations System. The men were threatened after attending a preparation meeting for a conference aimed at calling on Iraq to join the Court, following which three cars stopped next to them and one of the men inside made the following threat “Iyad and Faisal, either your life or the conference.” On 5 February 2018, two days after the conference, both individuals were approached by a car near the Sheikh Maruf Square in Baghdad. One of the persons in the car opened fire on them and shot five times. Mr. Al Tamimi was injured and was brought to the Medical City Hospital in Baghdad, where he received medical treatment. On 4 March 2018, both Mr. Al Roumy and Mr. Al Tamimi received threats through Facebook messages. At the time of writing no response has been received. 9. Japan 30. In the 2016 report of the Secretary-General (see A/HRC/33/19, para. 25), reference was made to an urgent appeal to the Government by three special procedures mandate holders on 30 May 2016 alleging the monitoring and surveillance of Ms. Kazuko Ito, of non-governmental organisation Human Rights Now. Ms Ito had facilitated and organised meetings for Mr. David Kaye, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, with representatives of civil society during his visit to Japan in April 2016 (see A/HRC/34/52/Add. 1, paras. 399 and 400; JPN 4/2016). These allegations stemmed from a magazine that reported information obtained through a leaked memo allegedly produced by Japanese intelligence agency members ordering the surveillance of Ms. Ito’s movements ahead of the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Japan. They expressed concern that the allegations of surveillance of Ms. Ito could be an act of intimidation and reprisal for her cooperation with the United Nations. Human Rights Now has been cooperating with the United Nations mechanisms since 2013, including the universal periodic review and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). 31. The 2017 report noted the Government’s response of 16 June 2016 that, the allegations were investigated by the Public Security Intelligence Agency and the National Police Agency, who each confirmed that they “had neither received such instructions nor conducted such research activities as were reported by the media” (see A/HRC/36/31, Annex, para. 5). 32. In May 2018 it was reported that Ms. Ito and Human Rights Now continue to be targeted due to their cooperation with the United Nations. On 9 March 2018, during a videotaped session of the House of Representatives Committee on Cabinet, a member of the Diet and Liberal Democratic Party addressed government representatives where she characterized Human Rights Now as “(a)n organization that makes use of the United Nations and other [international forums] to spread around the world the fabricated information that the “comfort women” of the Japanese army were sex slaves, and does that with lots of enthusiasm; that’s what Human Rights Now is.” Human Rights Now had organised a side event on “comfort women” at the Commission on the Status of Women. The Diet member also reportedly requested the Diet to “control NGOs’ international forms of speech” in their collaborative activities with the United Nations and said, “it is obvious that there are people trying to use propaganda to discredit Japan,” which was reiterated on social media. Human Rights Now sent two letters to the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Cabinet and to the Liberal Democratic Party on 27 March 2018 regarding these allegations. The Government of Japan responded on 15 August 2018 that “it asked both the Liberal Democratic Party and the Secretariat of the House of 46 GE.18-13325