WG ON ARBITRARY DETENTION OPINION #6 ON 2005 LOG

UNCLAS GENEVA 002113 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/SHA, DRL/MLA, L/HRR REFERENCE: (A) GENEVA 1919 (B) GENEVA 721 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM UNHRC SUBJECT: WG ON ARBITRARY DETENTION OPINION #6 ON 2005 LOG ¶1. Mission received the following communication from Leila Zerrougui, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, regarding the opinion on the case of Mr. Abdullah William Webster. This communication has been forwarded to IO/SHA via e-mail and is included in number 6 on the Geneva 2005 Communications Log. ¶2. Begin text of letter: REFERENCE: G/SO 218/2 1 September 2005 Dear Mr. Ambassador, The Commission on Human Rights, by its resolution 2003/31 entitled "Question of arbitrary detention", decided to renew, for a three-year period, the mandate of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and invited the Working Group in discharging its mandate, to continue to seek and gather information from Governments and intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, as well as from the individuals concerned, their families or their legal representatives. I wish to refer to the letter dated 10 March 2005 addressed to you concerning a case of arbitrary detention which was reported to have occurred in your country. In light of the above, and in keeping with the mandate entrusted to it by the Commission on Human Rights, and with its methods of work, the Working Group has examined the above-mentioned case, taking into consideration all the pertinent information at its disposal and has adopted, on 30 August 2005, Opinion No. 26/2005 (copy attached). This Opinion will be reproduced in the report which the Working Group will present to the Commission on Human Rights at its sixty-second session. Accept, Mr. Ambassador, the assurances of my highest consideration. Leila Zerrougui Chairperson-Rapporteur Working Group on Arbitrary Detention End text of letter. ¶3. Begin text of opinion: OPINION No. 26/2005 (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) Communication addressed to the Government on 10 March 2005 Concerning: Mr. Abdullah William Webster The State is a Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ¶1. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by resolution 1991/42 of the Commission on Human Rights, which has renewed the mandate by resolution 2003/31. In accordance with its methods of work, the Working Group has forwarded to the Government the above-mentioned communication. ¶2. The Working Group notes with appreciation the information forwarded by the Government concerned in respect of the case in question. ¶3. The Working Group further notes that the Government has informed that the above-named person is not longer in detention, having been released on 30 April 2005, which was confirmed by the source. ¶4. Having examined the available information, and without concluding on the arbitrary or not character of the detention, the Working Group decides, in conformity with paragraph 17 (a) of its methods of work, to file the case of Mr. Abdullah William Webster. Adopted on 30 August 2005. BIGELOW