A/HRC/42/30 recipients of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture were subject to a legal complaint filed by the Royal Thai Army, dismissed in October 2017, for publishing a report on cases of torture and ill-treatment by military in the Southern Border Provinces. They were also harassed online. In September 2018, following the presentation of the 2018 report of the Secretary-General to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/39/41), it was reported that Ms. Anghkhana Neelapaijit and other defenders were subjected to smearing on social media. For example, a photo of Ms. Neelapaijit was circulated and she was accused of manipulating the truth. 102. On 28 June 2019, the Government responded to the allegations providing detailed comments. The Government requested further details on the intimidation and threats against Mr. Chamroensuksakul and his family, in order to better understand how they relate to his cooperation with the UN. The Government also noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked relevant agencies to verify this case and is waiting for more information. Regarding the situation of Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri, the Government further updated that the case had been postponed eleven times due to the procedures of the Office of the Attorney General, in particular its criminal procedure codes. The next hearing of the indictment decision is scheduled for late June 2019. Regarding the reported online smear campaign against Ms. Angkhana Neelapaijit, the Government shared that she filed two libel complaints on 7 June 2017 and 18 September 2017. The Royal Thai Police instructed the competent authorities to treat them as urgent cases, which are still under investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the incidents involve fake Facebook accounts. 27. United Arab Emirates 103. The case of Mr. Ahmed Mansoor, advisor to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division, was included in the 2018 (A/HRC/39/41, Annex, para. 55), 2017 (A/HRC/36/31, para. 60 and Annex, paras. 86–87) and 2014 (A/HRC/27/38, para. 38) reports of the Secretary-General related to his collaboration with the Human Rights Council, the special procedures, the UPR and the treaty bodies. Mr. Mansoor was detained and experienced physical assaults, death threats, and government surveillance. He had been subject to a travel ban from 2011 to prevent him from engaging in person with United Nations human rights mechanisms. On 6 July 2018 the Government provided information to OHCHR, stating that Mr. Mansoor “was tried, convicted and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment” and is serving his sentence at the Al Sadr penal institution with the right to an appeal. 104. On 4 January 2019, the spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern that the Court of State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court had upheld a 10-year prison sentence and one-million dirham fine (about USD272,000) against Mr. Mansoor. The spokesperson urged the Government “to promptly and unconditionally release Mansoor and to ensure that individuals are not penalised for expressing views critical of the Government or its allies.”160 In April 2019, it was reported that Mr. Mansoor was on a hunger strike to protest an unfair trial and the conditions in which he is detained. On 7 May 2019, seven special procedures mandate holders expressed grave concern over Mr. Mansoor’s physical well-being and the poor conditions of his detention.161 105. The case of Mr. Osama Al-Najjar was mentioned in the 2018 and several previous reports of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/39/41, Annex II, paras. 57–58; A/HRC/33/19, para. 44; A/HRC/30/29, para. 6; and A/HRC/27/38, para. 37) and raised by five special procedures mandate holders (ARE 2/2015). He was alleged to have been subject to reprisals after meeting with the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers during her visit to the country in 2014. According to information received, Mr. Al-Najjar was arrested, tortured and held incommunicado in March 2014, was then transferred to Al Wathba prison, to be released on 17 March 2017, following the completion of his three- 160 161 66 OHCHR, Press Briefing Note, Spokesperson of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (4 January 2019). OHCHR, “UAE: UN experts condemn conditions of detention for jailed activist Ahmed Mansoor,” (7 May 2019). GE.19-15332