A/HRC/WGEID/118/1
5.
On 25 February 2019, the Working Group, together with other special procedure
mechanisms, issued a press release deploring the executions in Egypt of nine men
convicted on the basis of evidence allegedly obtained under torture. 2
6.
On 11 March 2019, the Working Group, together with other special procedure
mechanisms, issued a press release urging the Congress of Guatemala not to pass a new bill
that would set up a general amnesty for serious human rights violations committed during
the armed internal conflict.3
7.
On 14 March 2019, the Working Group, together with other special procedure
mechanisms, issued a press release renewing a call to the Chinese authorities for a
comprehensive and independent investigation into the death in custody of the human rights
defender and lawyer Cao Shunli, five years after her death. 4
8.
On 10 May 2019, the Working Group, together with other special procedure
mechanisms, issued a press release condemning the lack of significant progress in the
investigation into the disappearance in Mexico of lawyer and human rights defender
Ernesto Sernas García, one year after his disappearance. 5
9.
Also at its 118th session, the Working Group reviewed and adopted two general
allegations, concerning Bangladesh and the United States of America.
II. Other activities
10.
During the session, the Working Group met with relatives of victims of enforced
disappearance and with non-governmental organizations working on the issue.
11.
The Working Group also held meetings with representatives of the Governments of
Argentina, France, Japan, Morocco, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar and the Republic of Korea.
12.
During the session, the Working Group discussed its upcoming thematic report on
standards and public policies for an effective investigation of enforced disappearances, to
be presented to the Human Rights Council at its forty-second session.
13.
The Working Group also participated in a workshop on forensic investigation and
enforced disappearance.
III. Information concerning enforced or involuntary
disappearances in States reviewed by the Working Group
during the session
Algeria
Standard procedure
14.
The Working Group transmitted five cases to the Government, concerning:
(a)
Ahmed Boukhatem, reportedly arrested on 13 December 1994 by masked
soldiers while he was at a mosque near his residence;
(b)
Mourad Raghis, reportedly arrested on 17 November 1994 by military
security agents while on duty with the civil protection services at the Khelifi barracks at the
Port of Algiers;
(c)
Samir Hamdi Bacha, reportedly arrested on 22 December 1999 by police
officers at his home;
2
3
4
5
2
Available at www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24204&LangID=E.
Available at www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24300&LangID=E.
Available at www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24331&LangID=E.
Available at www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24590&LangID=E.