A/HRC/21/18 66. In June 2011, Mr. Al-Gasim and six other human rights defenders were charged with, inter alia, conspiracy against the State and espionage, crimes which are punishable by death or life imprisonment. One of the accusations levelled against Mr. Al-Gasim was of reporting to the International Criminal Court. On 4 December 2011, the charges against Mr. Al-Gasim and three other defendants were dismissed. Nonetheless, Mr. Al-Gasim has reportedly continued to face harassment, his legal office has been kept under surveillance by the security services and he has lost clients and income. At the time of the completion of the present report, the Government had not responded to the communication sent by several special procedures on 23 November 2010 (A/HRC/16/44/Add.1, paras. 2131-2133). Uzbekistan 67. The case of Erklin Musaev was mentioned in my previous reports. 16 Information received indicates that in March 2011 he was transferred to Navoyi prison, where the conditions of detention reportedly are severe and have had a detrimental effect on his health. On 21 March 2011 and on 3 May 2012, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment sent urgent appeals to the Government of Uzbekistan, expressing concerns at allegations that Mr. Musaev had been regularly placed in solitary confinement, ill-treated and beaten. On 12 May 2011, the Government responded to the communication of 21 March 2011 indicating that Mr. Musaev was receiving medical treatment and that no complaints or reports had been received from him or his family concerning unlawful acts by the staff of the law enforcement agencies. It has been reported that Mr. Musev‟s family continues to be intimidated in order to silence them and to stop them from contacting international organizations. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 68. In relation to the case of Judge María Lourdes Afiuni, mentioned in my two most recent reports on reprisals,17 information was received indicating that she remains in detention. Judge Afiuni was arrested on 10 December 2009 after she ordered the conditional release of an individual whose detention the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention considered arbitrary. President Hugo Chavez reportedly publicly demanded that she be sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment. In September 2010, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in its opinion 20/2010, concluded that the detention of Judge Afiuni was arbitrary (A/HRC/16/44/Add.1, paras. 2417-2434). 69. On 13 December 2011, a judge granted the request of the Public Prosecutor to extend the penalty of house arrest against Judge Afiuni by two more years. Judge Afiuni has already spent two years in detention. Several special procedures expressed their deep concern at the decision in a press release on 27 December 2011.18 Reportedly, the lawyer who has acted for Judge Afiuni since 2009 was arrested and detained for eight days on 4 June 2012. III. Conclusions and recommendations 70. As illustrated by the cases contained in the present report, intimidation and reprisals against those cooperating with the United Nations, its mechanisms and 16 17 18 16 A/HRC/18/19, para. 86; A/HRC/14/19, para. 44. A/HRC/18/19, paras. 87-90; A/HRC/14/19, paras. 45-47. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11745&LangID=E.