A/HRC/21/18 50. While in the custody of the National Intelligence and Security Service, Mr. Hussein was placed in incommunicado detention where he was reportedly beaten until he went into a coma. He reportedly received death threats, was called a “slave” due to his Nuba ethnic origin and was forced to stand for long hours during interrogation by NISS officers. While in detention, his health reportedly deteriorated and on 22 May 2012, Mr. Hussein was taken to the General Police Hospital in Khartoum. On 19 June 2012, he declared a hunger strike in protest against his arbitrary detention. On 27 June 2012, Mr. Hussein was reportedly released on bail. C. Follow-up information on cases included in previous reports Bahrain 51. My previous report refers to the arrest and prosecution of several Bahraini human rights defenders: Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Abduljalil Al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, Abdul Ghani Al-Kanja and Nabeel Rajab (A/HRC/18/19, paras. 15-24). 52. Mr. Rajab was allegedly attacked on 21 May 2011 at his home by members of the security forces and subjected to a travel ban. Another attack against Mr. Rajab by police allegedly took place in the context of a demonstration in Manama on 6 January 2012. Several special procedures sent urgent appeals in relation to his case on 16 June 2011 and 9 September 2011 (A/HRC/19/44, pp. 17 and 75), as well as on 20 January 2012. 53. According to information received, the National Safety Court (a military court) sentenced Mr. Al-Khawaja, Mr. Al-Singace, Mr. Mushaima and Mr. Ghani Al-Kanja to life imprisonment on 22 June 2011. The Government reportedly considered that these human rights defenders formed part of a “terrorist cell”. The same defenders were referred to in several urgent appeals sent by special procedures, notably a communication of 5 August 2011 expressing concern in relation to their prosecution.13 54. On 13 April 2012, four special rapporteurs issued a press release urging the Government to immediately release Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who was serving a life sentence as a result of a decision of a military court on terrorism-related charges brought against him. Allegedly, he had been held in incommunicado detention before being allowed to seek legal counsel and forced to make confessions under duress, which were later used as evidence in his trial. Mr. Al-Khawaja reportedly had been on hunger strike since 8 February 2012 and despite assurances of his well-being by Bahraini authorities, reports and photos documenting his poor state of health continued to emerge. The special rapporteurs noted that the case was “sadly emblematic of the overall treatment of human rights defenders in Bahrain”.14 Special procedures sent several urgent appeals in relation to this case, most recently on 12 March 2012 (A/HRC/20/30, p. 68). Belarus 55. The Belarusian Helsinki Committee, referred to in my previous report (A/HRC/18/19, paras. 28-30), allegedly is still subjected to restrictions which hamper its work in the defence of human rights. According to information received, a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee was reportedly informed in March 2012 that a travel ban had been issued against him. Several special procedures sent a communication regarding 13 14 A/HRC/19/44 p. 52; see also A/HRC/18/51, p. 72. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12056&LangID=E. 13