Annual report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was the first United Nations human rights thematic mechanism to be established with a universal mandate, by the Commission on Human Rights, pursuant to its resolution 20 (XXXVI). The mandate was most recently extended by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 36/6.

The primary task of the Working Group is to assist families in determining the fate or whereabouts of their family members who are reportedly disappeared. In that humanitarian capacity, the Working Group serves as a channel of communication between family members of victims of enforced disappearance and other sources reporting cases of disappearances, and the Governments concerned.

Following the adoption of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (General Assembly resolution 47/133), the Working Group was entrusted with monitoring the progress of States in fulfilling their obligations derived from the Declaration. The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 7/12, encouraged the Working Group to provide assistance in the implementation by States of the Declaration and of existing international rules.

The present report contains information on the activities of and communications and cases examined by the Working Group from 3 May 2018 to 22 May 2019. A summary of the decisions on individual cases taken by the Working Group and communications transmitted to the States concerned during the reporting period is presented in section III.

Since its inception, the Working Group has transmitted a total of 57,891 cases to 108 States. The number of cases under active consideration that have not yet been clarified, closed or discontinued stands at 45,811 in a total of 92 States. During the reporting period, 406 cases were clarified.

During the period under review, the Working Group held three sessions: the 116th session, from 10 to 14 September 2018 (A/HRC/WGEID/116/1); the 117th session, from 11 to 15 February 2019 (A/HRC/WGEID/117/1); and the 118th session, from 13 to 22 May 2019 (A/HRC/WGEID/118/1). The reports on the sessions should be considered complements to the present report.

Between 4 and 8 June 2018, Houria Es-Slami represented the Working Group during the twenty-sixth annual meeting of the special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council.

On 10 September 2018, the Working Group held an expert meeting on standards and public policies for effective investigation of enforced disappearances, on the margins of its 116th session.

On 12 September 2018, the Chair-Rapporteur presented the annual report for the period from 18 May 2017 to 2 May 2018, and its addenda, to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-ninth session, and participated in the interactive dialogue with States.

During the 116th session, Bernard Duhaime was confirmed as Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group and Tae-Ung Baik as Vice-Chair.

On 18 October 2018, the Chair-Rapporteur addressed the General Assembly at its seventy-third session and participated in the interactive dialogue with Member States.

On 3 December 2018, the Working Group sent a letter to the International Law Commission commending its members for their work on the adoption of the draft articles on crimes against humanity and recognizing the contribution for a future convention on this issue. Nevertheless, the Working Group drew the Commission’s attention to a number of issues, notably in relation to the definition of enforced disappearances.¹

1. See www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Disappearances/CommentsDraftArticlesCrimesAgainstHumanity.pdf. ↩

On 20 May 2019, on the margins of its 118th session, the Working Group organized a training session on forensic science to enhance its capacity to cooperate with States and families in the search for victims of enforced disappearance and investigations into disappearances.

During its 118th session, the Working Group discussed its thematic report on standards and public policies for effective investigation of enforced disappearances. The report, which was developed with the aim of cooperating with States to accomplish their obligation to investigate enforced disappearance effectively, will be issued as an addendum to the present report. The Working Group is grateful for the contributions received from States, organizations of families of victims of enforced disappearance, non-governmental organizations, academics and individuals.

On 27 May 2019, Houria Es-Slami participated in a panel discussion on Law No. 105 for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared in Lebanon.

The Working Group continues its practice of holding one of its sessions every year outside Geneva. The Working Group held its 117th session in Sarajevo from 11 to 15 February 2019. The Working Group is grateful to the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina for this opportunity.

During the reporting period, all the members of the Working Group carried out a number of activities connected to enforced disappearances, which included their participation in conferences, consultations, seminars, training events, workshops and lectures, organized by Governments and civil society organizations.

The Working Group is thankful for the continuous support, including through voluntary contributions, provided by donor States, notably, France, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

During the period under review, representatives of the Governments of Angola (116th), Argentina (118th), Bosnia and Herzegovina (117th), Croatia (117th), Egypt (116th and 117th), El Salvador (116th), France (118th), Japan (116th, 117th and 118th), Morocco (116th and 118th), Pakistan (118th), the Philippines (117th), Portugal (116th and 118th), Qatar (118th), the Republic of Korea (118th), Saudi Arabia (116th) and Ukraine (116th) attended the sessions of the Working Group. A number of informal meetings were also held with representatives from various States. The Working Group expresses its appreciation to those Governments for the meetings and emphasizes the importance of cooperation and dialogue.

During the reporting period, the Working Group transmitted 768 new cases of enforced disappearance to 40 States.

The Working Group transmitted 177 of the above-mentioned cases under the urgent action procedure to 19 States.

The Working Group clarified 406 cases in 22 States. Of the 406 cases, 329 were clarified on the basis of information provided by Governments and 77 on the basis of information provided by sources. 1 See www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Disappearances/CommentsDraftArticlesCrimesAgainst Humanity.pdf.

The Working Group transmitted seven prompt intervention communications addressing allegations of harassment of and/or threats to human rights defenders and relatives of disappeared persons in: Colombia, Iran (Islamic Republic), Iraq, Libya, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of).

It transmitted 24 urgent appeals concerning persons who had been arrested, detained, abducted or otherwise deprived of their liberty or who had been forcibly disappeared or were at risk of disappearance in: Bangladesh (1), China (3), Egypt (2), India (1), Iran (Islamic Republic) (2), Israel (1), Lao People’s Democratic Republic (1), Nicaragua (1), Pakistan (1), Saudi Arabia (4), Sudan (1), Thailand (2), United Arab Emirates (2), Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (1) and Viet Nam (1).

The Working Group transmitted 14 joint allegation letters, with other special procedure mandate holders, concerning: Argentina (1), Azerbaijan (1), China (1), Eritrea (1), Gambia (1), Ghana (1), Myanmar (1), Saudi Arabia (1), Thailand (1), Turkey (2), United Arab Emirates (1), United States of America (1) and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (1).

The Working Group transmitted nine general allegations related to obstacles in the implementation of the Declaration to the Governments of: Bahrain (1), Bangladesh (1), India (1), Libya (1), Pakistan (1), Syrian Arab Republic (1), Turkmenistan (1), United States of America (1) and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (1).

It also transmitted 11 other letters addressing issues related to enforced disappearances to the Governments of China (2), Mexico (2) and Nepal (1), as well as to the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (1), the European Union (1), Economic Community of West African States (1), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (1), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1) and the Shenzhen Jasic Technology Company (1).

The Working Group visited Ukraine from 11 to 20 June 2018 (see A/HRC/42/40/Add.2). The Working Group thanks the Government of Ukraine for the invitation and for the cooperation extended to it before, during and after its visit. It encourages the Government to fully implement the recommendations contained in the country visit report.

The Working Group also thanks the Governments of Kyrgyzstan, Mali and Tajikistan, which extended invitations to the Working Group during the reporting period to visit their countries.

During the reporting period, the Working Group requested visits to Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Nigeria.

In addition to these new requests, the Working Group reiterated its requests, to which it has still not received a positive response, to visit: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Philippines, Russian Federation, Rwanda, South Africa, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. The Working Group invites all States that have received a request for a visit by the Working Group to respond favourably to it, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 21/4.²

2. See annex I for country visit requests and invitations extended. ↩

The visit to Mali scheduled for November 2018 was postponed due to the lack of a timely reply from the Government confirming the dates. The visit has been rescheduled to take place from 26 August to 3 September 2019. The Working Group is grateful to the Government of Mali for the invitation and looks forward to completing the visit on the agreed dates.

The visit to the Sudan scheduled for November 2017 was postponed due to a lack of understanding about the terms of reference for the visit. The Working Group regrets that, in spite of a preliminary visit undertaken by the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group in order to clarify the terms of reference on 5 and 6 December 2017 – and an agreement in principle about the new dates in March 2018 – the Government has never officially accepted the visit.

The Working Group once again recalls that the Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to a visit by the Working Group in 2004, 15 years ago, which was delayed at the request of the Government. The Working Group calls upon the Government to set the dates for the visit.

In February 2016, the Government of South Sudan invited the Working Group to visit. However, it did not respond to a subsequent letter from the Working Group sent in April 2016, proposing two dates for a visit to the country in the last quarter of 2017. During the reporting period, the Working Group reiterated its interest in visiting the country. The visit to Libya, postponed in May 2013 for security reasons, is still pending.

The Working Group has prepared follow-up reports on the implementation of recommendations made following its visits to Peru and Sri Lanka. The follow-up reports are contained in an addendum to the present report (A/HRC/42/40/Add.1). The Working Group encourages both Governments to implement the outstanding recommendations.

On 12 June 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, calling on the United Arab Emirates to immediately release the human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor.³

3. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23195&LangID=E. ↩

On 27 June 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, calling on Saudi Arabia to immediately free the women’s human rights defenders who had been arrested during a crackdown.⁴

4. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23270&LangID=E. ↩

On 4 July 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, to express concern at reports of Liu Xia’s deteriorating state of health.⁵

5. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23322&LangID=E. ↩

On 25 July 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, commending the Government of Spain for its proposal to create a truth commission and for its commitment to drawing up plans to search for those who disappeared during the civil war and General Franco’s dictatorship. It also expressed the hope that the initiative would be accompanied by progress in the judicial sphere, including regarding any criminal procedure carried out in any country for the enforced disappearances committed in Spain.⁶

6. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23402&LangID=E. ↩

On 26 July 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, urging the Egyptian authorities to release Galal El Behairy, who was forcibly disappeared for a week after his arrest and who remains in detention for writing a song critical of government policies.⁷

7. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23409&LangID=E. ↩

On 9 August 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, urging the Government of Nicaragua to stop the repression following 100 days of unrest in which at least 317 people were killed and 1,830 injured. The experts also exhorted the Government of Nicaragua to immediately demobilize paramilitary groups and to investigate the extrajudicial executions, killings and reports of enforced disappearances with due diligence, without delay and through the use of effective, impartial and independent procedures⁸.

8. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23434&LangID=E. ↩

On 28 August 2018, on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Working Group issued a joint press release with the Committee on Enforced Disappearances on the importance of international law obligations to search for people who have been subject to enforced disappearance and investigate that crime.⁹

9. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23483&LangID=E. ↩

On 9 October 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, welcoming the decision by a tribunal of the Supreme Court in Peru to overturn the pardon of former president Alberto Fujimori.¹⁰

10. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23700&LangID=E. ↩

On 9 October 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, calling for a prompt independent and international investigation into the case of Saudi journalist and government critic, Jamal Khashoggi.¹¹

11. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23701&LangID=E. ↩

On 18 October 2018, in the context of its report to the General Assembly, the Working Group issued a press release expressing great concern about the new and extremely worrying practice of extraterritorial abductions by States.¹²

12. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23736&LangID=E. ↩

On 22 October 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, welcoming a court ruling in Guatemala concerning violations against Ixil Mayans.¹³

13. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23746&LangID=E. ↩

On 31 October 2018, in the run-up to the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the Working Group issued a press release together with other special procedure mandate holders, urging States to take firm steps to ensure accountability for violence and attacks against journalists, reversing and resisting the appalling trend of impunity.¹⁴

14. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23803&LangID=E. ↩

On 26 November 2018, the Working Group issued a press release welcoming a new law against enforced disappearances in Lebanon.¹⁵

15. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23931&LangID=E. ↩

On 28 November 2018, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, welcoming a ruling by the Supreme Court of Mexico regrading a problematic internal security law.¹⁶

16. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23942&LangID=E. ↩

On 25 February 2019, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, deploring the execution in Egypt of nine men convicted on the basis of evidence allegedly obtained under torture.¹⁷

17. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24204&LangID=E. ↩

On 11 March 2019, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, urging the Congress of Guatemala not to pass a new bill that would establish a general amnesty for serious human rights violations committed during the armed internal conflict.¹⁸

18. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24300&LangID=E. ↩

On 14 March 2019, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, renewing their call to the Chinese authorities for a comprehensive and independent investigation into the death in custody of human rights defender and lawyer, Cao Shunli, five years after her death.¹⁹

19. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24331&LangID=E. ↩

On 10 May 2019, the Working Group issued a press release, together with other special procedure mandate holders, 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.20 19 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24331&LangID=E. 20 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24590&LangID=E. III. Decisions on individual cases taken by the Working Group and communications transmitted to the States concerned during the reporting period²¹ Countries Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review Cases transmitted to the Government during the reporting period Cases clarified during the period under review by: Number of cases of possible clarification by Government (sixmonth rule) Number of outstanding cases at the end of the period under review Communications sent during the period under review Communications received during the period under review Prompt intervention letter Urgent appeal Allegation letter General allegation Other letter Response to prompt intervention letter Response to urgent appeal Response to allegation letter Response to general allegation Response to other letter Urgent actions Standard cases Government Sources Afghanistan Albania Algeria²² 3 228 3 253 Angola Argentina 3 084 3 065 Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Belarus Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Brazil Burundi Cambodia 21 Urgent actions are cases of enforced disappearances that have occurred within three months prior to the receipt of a report by the Working Group; or cases of enforced disappearances that have occurred prior to the three-month limit, but within one year prior to the receipt of a report by the Working Group, provided that there is a link with a case that occurred within the three-month period. Standard cases are cases of enforced disappearances that have occurred prior to the three-month limit. Prompt intervention letters concern cases of intimidation, persecution or reprisal against families of disappeared persons, witnesses, lawyers, human rights defenders and other individuals concerned with disappearances. Urgent appeals concern allegations of enforced disappearances; or allegations regarding persons deprived of liberty who are at risk of being disappeared. Allegation letters and general allegations concern alleged obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Declaration. 22 During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate case was consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. Countries Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review Cases transmitted to the Government during the reporting period Cases clarified during the period under review by: Number of cases of possible clarification by Government (sixmonth rule) Number of outstanding cases at the end of the period under review Communications sent during the period under review Communications received during the period under review Prompt intervention letter Urgent appeal Allegation letter General allegation Other letter Response to prompt intervention letter Response to urgent appeal Response to allegation letter Response to general allegation Response to other letter Urgent actions Standard cases Government Sources Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Chile China²³ Colombia24 Congo Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt²⁵ El Salvador 2 282 2 284 Equatorial Guinea Eritrea 23 During its 117th session, the Working Group decided, based on information received from the source, to reopen one case. 24 During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider two cases as duplicates. The duplicate cases were consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. 25 During its 116th session, the Working Group decided to consider six cases as duplicates. During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate cases were consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. Countries Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review Cases transmitted to the Government during the reporting period Cases clarified during the period under review by: Number of cases of possible clarification by Government (sixmonth rule) Number of outstanding cases at the end of the period under review Communications sent during the period under review Communications received during the period under review Prompt intervention letter Urgent appeal Allegation letter General allegation Other letter Response to prompt intervention letter Response to urgent appeal Response to allegation letter Response to general allegation Response to other letter Urgent actions Standard cases Government Sources Ethiopia France Gambia Ghana Greece Guatemala 2 897 2 897 Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq 16 419 16 420 Israel Jordan Kenya Kuwait²⁶ Lao People’s Democratic Republic Lebanon Libya 26 During its 116th session, the Working Group decided, exceptionally and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, to discontinue its consideration of one outstanding case. Countries Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review Cases transmitted to the Government during the reporting period Cases clarified during the period under review by: Number of cases of possible clarification by Government (sixmonth rule) Number of outstanding cases at the end of the period under review Communications sent during the period under review Communications received during the period under review Prompt intervention letter Urgent appeal Allegation letter General allegation Other letter Response to prompt intervention letter Response to urgent appeal Response to allegation letter Response to general allegation Response to other letter Urgent actions Standard cases Government Sources Malaysia Maldives Mauritania Mexico²⁷ Morocco28 Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Nicaragua Nigeria Oman Pakistan Peru²⁹ 2 364 2 361 Philippines Republic of Korea Russian Federation Rwanda 27 During its 116th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate case was consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. Exceptionally, and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, the Working Group also decided to discontinue its consideration of 13 outstanding cases. 28 During its 116th session, the Working Group decided, exceptionally and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, to discontinue its consideration of 12 outstanding cases. During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider three cases as duplicates. The duplicate cases were consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. 29 During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider three cases as duplicates. The duplicate cases were consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. Countries Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review Cases transmitted to the Government during the reporting period Cases clarified during the period under review by: Number of cases of possible clarification by Government (sixmonth rule) Number of outstanding cases at the end of the period under review Communications sent during the period under review Communications received during the period under review Prompt intervention letter Urgent appeal Allegation letter General allegation Other letter Response to prompt intervention letter Response to urgent appeal Response to allegation letter Response to general allegation Response to other letter Urgent actions Standard cases Government Sources Saudi Arabia Seychelles Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka 5 958 6 030 Sudan Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Thailand³⁰ Timor-Leste Togo Tunisia Turkey³¹ Turkmenista n Uganda Ukraine32 30 During its 116th session, the Working Group decided, exceptionally and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, to discontinue its consideration of four outstanding cases. During its 118th session, the Working Group decided to discontinue its consideration of two outstanding cases. 31 During its 116th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate case was consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. 32 During its 117th session, the Working Group decided, exceptionally and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, to discontinue its consideration of three outstanding cases. Countries Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review Cases transmitted to the Government during the reporting period Cases clarified during the period under review by: Number of cases of possible clarification by Government (sixmonth rule) Number of outstanding cases at the end of the period under review Communications sent during the period under review Communications received during the period under review Prompt intervention letter Urgent appeal Allegation letter General allegation Other letter Response to prompt intervention letter Response to urgent appeal Response to allegation letter Response to general allegation Response to other letter Urgent actions Standard cases Government Sources United Arab Emirates United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Yemen Zimbabwe State of Palestine

21. Urgent actions are cases of enforced disappearances that have occurred within three months prior to the receipt of a report by the Working Group; or cases of enforced disappearances that have occurred prior to the three-month limit, but within one year prior to the receipt of a report by the Working Group, provided that there is a link with a case that occurred within the three-month period. Standard cases are cases of enforced disappearances that have occurred prior to the three-month limit. Prompt intervention letters concern cases of intimidation, persecution or reprisal against families of disappeared persons, witnesses, lawyers, human rights defenders and other individuals concerned with disappearances. Urgent appeals concern allegations of enforced disappearances; or allegations regarding persons deprived of liberty who are at risk of being disappeared. Allegation letters and general allegations concern alleged obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Declaration. ↩
22. During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate case was consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. ↩
23. During its 117th session, the Working Group decided, based on information received from the source, to reopen one case. ↩
25. During its 116th session, the Working Group decided to consider six cases as duplicates. During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate cases were consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. ↩
26. During its 116th session, the Working Group decided, exceptionally and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, to discontinue its consideration of one outstanding case. ↩
27. During its 116th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate case was consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. Exceptionally, and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, the Working Group also decided to discontinue its consideration of 13 outstanding cases. ↩
29. During its 117th session, the Working Group decided to consider three cases as duplicates. The duplicate cases were consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. ↩
30. During its 116th session, the Working Group decided, exceptionally and in accordance with paragraph 28 of its methods of work, to discontinue its consideration of four outstanding cases. During its 118th session, the Working Group decided to discontinue its consideration of two outstanding cases. ↩
31. During its 116th session, the Working Group decided to consider one case as a duplicate. The duplicate case was consequently deleted from the records of the Working Group. ↩

The Working Group regrets that the worldwide trend of global deterioration of the human rights situation is also evidenced through worrisome developments in the area of enforced disappearances.

One such development is the increasing use of extraterritorial abductions, as the Working Group observed before the General Assembly in 2018.³³ An emblematic case widely reported in the media is the case of journalist Jamal Khashoggi,³⁴ who was killed while he was at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018; the whereabouts of his remains are still unknown. China³⁵ and Turkey³⁶ continue to seek the cooperation of other States to arrest, often in undercover operations, Uighurs and alleged supporters of the Hizmet/Gülen movement, respectively, living outside the country. The allegations received by the Working Group indicate that individuals often disappear during these operations or once they arrive in the country of destination.

33. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23736&LangID=E. ↩
34. A/HRC/WGEID/117/1, paras. 118–119. See also www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session41/Pages/ListReports.aspx. ↩
35. A/HRC/WGEID/115/1, annex I, and A/HRC/WGEID/114/1, paras. 47 and 158. ↩
36. See https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24375, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=23776, and https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=23572. See also A/HRC/39/46, para. 136. ↩

Another worrisome development is the adoption of regressive legislation in some countries, which has an impact on the right to truth and justice of victims of enforced disappearances, or the lack of progress in implementing those rights. In Nepal, the mandate of the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons continues to be extended on a yearly basis only and the appointment of new commissioners currently remains pending. In Sri Lanka, while the Office on Missing Persons has been established as an institution, progress in dealing with individual cases is yet to be apparent. Cooperation from other parts of the State, particularly the security apparatus, remains essential for the fulfilment of its mandate. In addition, the continued lack of awareness and mistrust with regard to the Office will need to be addressed throughout its work.

In addition, the Working Group has noted that States are increasingly justifying the use of enforced disappearances as part of their counter-terrorism activities, including through the adoption of legal provisions that facilitate the occurrence of enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention. The silence and lack of reaction on the part of States and the international community as a whole could be interpreted as a normalization of these practices, which are in clear breach of international human rights law. The Working Group finds these trends extremely concerning.

It has also become increasingly difficult for the Working Group to receive positive replies to its visit requests, as indicated in section II D above.

There are also a number of countries that do not cooperate or cooperate only formally with the Working Group, for instance by providing standard replies plainly denying allegations. For instance, Bangladesh, Eritrea and Kenya have not cooperated with the Working Group and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has sent standard replies.

However, the Working Group also noted positive developments during the reporting cycle. In Albania, the Parliament has ratified an agreement with the International Commission on Missing Persons to help the Albanian authorities search for and identify the remains of those who went missing under the totalitarian regime, as recommended by the Working Group after its country visit. The Gambia has implemented a number of recommendations formulated by the Working Group after its visit in 2017, notably by ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and conducting an exhumation in Yundum Barracks in April 2019. The President has also announced the dismantling of the infamous Mile 2 prison. Lebanon has adopted a law on missing and disappeared persons and is planning to establish a commission to implement the provisions of the law in the near future. Spain is proposed to create a truth commission and has committed to drawing up plans to search for those who disappeared during the civil war and General Franco’s dictatorship.³⁷

37. A/HRC/WGEID/116/1, para. 150. ↩

In addition to these observations and those formulated in its post-session documents (see para. 6 above), the Working Group makes the following country-specific observations in relation to situations that are of particular concern.

The Working Group reiterates its regret that no information has been received from the Government on the cases and general allegations transmitted on: 4 May 2011, concerning the alleged frequent use of enforced disappearance as a tool by law enforcement agencies, and paramilitary and armed forces to detain and even to execute individuals extrajudicially (A/HRC/22/45 and Corr.1, para. 33, and A/HRC/30/38, para. 61); 9 March 2016, concerning the reportedly alarming rise in the number of cases of enforced disappearance in the country (A/HRC/WGEID/108/1, para. 6); and 22 February 2017, concerning allegations of grave human rights abuses and violations committed by the security and intelligence forces, as well as law enforcement authorities (A/HRC/WGEID/111/1, para. 24 and annex II). On 29 June 2019, the Working Group transmitted a further general allegation on reports that enforced disappearances have continued to occur with alarming frequency (A/HRC/WGEID/118/1, para. 20 and annex I).

On 12 March 2013, the Working Group requested an invitation to visit the country. No response has yet been received from the Government in spite of reminders sent on 27 October 2014, 27 November 2015, 18 November 2016, 19 January 2018 and 18 January 2019. The Working Group hopes that a positive reply will be received soon.

The Working Group regrets the high number of cases submitted to the Government of Burundi during the reporting period (A/HRC/WGEID/116/1, para. 36, A/HRC/WGEID/117/1, paras. 27–28, and A/HRC/WGEID/118/1, paras. 27–28) and is seriously concerned that the cases it has received are likely to constitute a very small percentage of a more widespread pattern of enforced disappearances since April 2015, as also indicated in the most recent report of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi (A/HRC/39/63, paras. 35–36). The Working Group notes that the Government has not cooperated with it.

In this respect, the Working Group welcomes the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, on 25 October 2017, to open an investigation into the situation in Burundi, including on cases of enforced disappearances.³⁸ At the same time, it fully endorses the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi to establish, with the support of the international community, an independent body with a mandate to investigate the cases of disappearance reported since April 2015, locate potential mass graves and exhume and identify the remains (A/HRC/39/63, para. 85 (c)).

38. ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 1/94 RH PT, 25 October 2017, paras. 117 ff. ↩

The Working Group reiterates article 7 of the Declaration, which provides that no circumstances whatsoever may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances.

On 27 May 2009, the Working Group requested an invitation to visit the country. The Working Group regrets both the tone and the content of the reply received on 27 March 2017 declining the visit of the Working Group. It reiterated the request on 18 January 2019. 37 A/HRC/WGEID/116/1, para. 150. 38 ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 1/94 RH PT, 25 October 2017, paras. 117 ff. China

The Working Group continues to be concerned at the situation of Uighurs in detention in a number of facilities in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.³⁹ According to the information received, the conditions under which reportedly several thousand Uighurs are detained are unclear and may amount to enforced disappearances. In addition, the Working Group is concerned at the reported case of extraterritorial abductions of Uighurs living in other countries, who are brought or returned to China and end up in secret or other forms of deprivation of liberty (see para. 56 above). The Working Group reiterates that accurate information on the detention of persons deprived of liberty and their place or places of detention, including transfers, should be made promptly available to their family members, their counsel or to any other persons having a legitimate interest in the information (art. 10 (2) of the Declaration).

39. A/HRC/39/46, para. 88. ↩

On 19 February 2013, the Working Group requested an invitation to visit the country. No response has yet been received from the Government in spite of reminders sent on 27 October 2014, 27 November 2015, 18 November 2016, 19 January 2018 and 18 January 2019. The Working Group hopes that a positive reply will be received soon.

While the Working Group continues to appreciate the cooperation of the Government of Egypt, demonstrated by the number of meetings held with the Working Group and the high number of replies sent on individual cases, it regrets that it continues to receive a very high number of allegations of enforced disappearances. The Working Group expresses concern regarding the emerging trend of disappearances of detained individuals despite court orders for their release.

The Working Group remains deeply concerned about alarming reports of reprisals against relatives and civil society organizations working on their behalf (A/HRC/39/41, paras. 38–39 and annex I).

The Working Group emphasizes that the allegations received are extremely serious and reiterates the importance of respecting the provisions of the Declaration, in particular:
(a) No State shall practise, permit or tolerate enforced disappearances (art. 2);
(b) No circumstances whatsoever may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances (art. 7);
(c) Accurate information on the detention of persons deprived of liberty and their place or places of detention, including transfers, shall be made promptly available to their family members, their counsel or to any other persons having a legitimate interest in the information (art. 10 (2));
(d) Steps shall be taken to ensure that all involved in the investigation, including the complainant, counsel, witnesses and those conducting the investigation, are protected against ill-treatment, intimidation or reprisal (art. 13 (3)).

The Working Group recalls its request for a visit, initially made in 2011 and reiterated yearly thereafter, with the latest reminder sent on 18 January 2019. It recommends that the Government accept its request, as a visit is very important, would be timely and could be beneficial for all stakeholders.

The Working Group expresses continued concern about the security situation in Libya, which may facilitate the occurrence of enforced disappearances. The Working Group echoes the concerns expressed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 7 June 2019⁴⁰ and is alarmed at reports of large numbers of disappearances of migrants following interceptions at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard and from migrant detention centres in the country. The Working Group draws attention to its report on enforced disappearances in the context of migration (A/HRC/36/39/Add.2) and urges Libya to implement the recommendations contained in it. In light of the outrageous attack on the Tajoura Detention Centre in Tripoli on 2 July 2019,⁴¹ the Working Group urges the Government to take all measures necessary to search for and locate the disappeared migrants, using all the means at its disposal, including forensic investigative resources, and to incorporate ante-mortem information in a centralized database to allow families of the deceased to have information on the fate of the victims.

40. See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24681&LangID=E. ↩
41. See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24784&LangID=E. ↩

The Working Group continues to be concerned at the scale of enforced disappearances in Myanmar, as also indicated by the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar (A/HRC/39/64, paras. 2, 63 and 88). The Working Group emphasizes that, as provided in article 2 of the Declaration, no State shall practise, permit or tolerate enforced disappearances and that, according to article 7 of the Declaration, no circumstances whatsoever may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances. The Working Group endorses the call made by the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to the Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court or, alternatively, create an ad hoc international criminal tribunal (A/HRC/39/64, para. 105).

The Working Group continues to regret the lack of reply to the general allegation transmitted on 9 June 2017, related to allegations of widespread enforced disappearances of Rohingya men, women and children during and following the Tatmadaw led “clearance operations” in northern Rakhine State (A/HRC/WGEID/112/1, paras. 72–73) and requests that a reply be provided soon.

The Working Group reiterates its previous calls to ensure the effective functioning of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons. It expresses concern that, while the mandates of the commissions were extended on 8 February 2019, the extensions were granted once again on a yearly basis, which can impair the effectiveness of the work of these bodies. The Working Group also notes that the tenure of the commissioners ended on 13 April 2019, that new commissioners have yet to be appointed, and that there are concerns regarding the transparency of the selection process. In that respect, the Working Group calls on the Government to ensure that the selection process of the new commissioners is promptly completed in a transparent manner and with the full participation of victims groups.

The Working Group also reiterates its call to accelerate the adoption of the bill that criminalizes enforced disappearances. It recalls that article 4 of the Declaration states that all acts of enforced disappearance shall be offences under criminal law punishable by appropriate penalties which shall take into account their extreme seriousness (para. 1).

On 22 November 2016, the Working Group reiterated its request to visit the country. No response yet has been received from the Government, in spite of several reminders. The Working Group hopes to receive a positive reply soon.

The Working Group regrets that it continues to receive a very high number of allegations both under the urgent action and the standard procedures in relation to cases of enforced disappearances (A/HRC/WGEID/116/1, paras. 130–131; A/HRC/WGEID/117/1, paras. 97–98; A/HRC/WGEID/118/1, paras. 80–81). It is also very concerned at the information received in relation to cases of reprisals against relatives and civil society actors working on their behalf (A/HRC/39/41, annex II, paras. 44–46). Of particular concern are recent testimonies received indicating that the authorities have exerted pressure on relatives of victims of enforced disappearances to persuade them not to pursue their cases before the Working Group.

While thanking the Government for the various replies providing information on a number of cases, the Working Group emphasizes that the allegations received are very serious. It reiterates the importance of respecting the provisions of the Declaration, in particular:
(a) No State shall practise, permit or tolerate enforced disappearances (art. 2);
(b) No circumstances whatsoever may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances (art. 7);
(c) Accurate information on the detention of persons deprived of liberty and their place or places of detention, including transfers, shall be made promptly available to their family members, their counsel or to any other persons having a legitimate interest in the information (art. 10 (2));
(d) Steps shall be taken to ensure that all involved in the investigation, including the complainant, counsel, witnesses and those conducting the investigation, are protected against ill-treatment, intimidation or reprisal (art. 13 (3)).

The Working Group reiterates its request to conduct a follow-up visit to the visit carried out in September 2012, as indicated in the follow-up report (A/HRC/33/51/Add.7, para. 38).

The Working Group continues to be gravely concerned about the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, which facilitates the occurrence of enforced disappearances.⁴² It is particularly concerned about the information documented by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, according to which a large number of the estimated tens of thousands of Syrians who have been disappeared by pro-Government forces are confirmed deceased. Many families learned the fate of their fathers, spouses and sons in May 2018 when civil registry offices received information in bulk that individuals were deceased.⁴³ The Working Group has also issued a general allegation on this issue (A/HRC/WGEID/117/1, para. 130 and annex I). The Working Group stresses that the State is responsible for accounting for the fate and whereabouts of detained and disappeared individuals countrywide.

42. A/HRC/36/39, para. 105, and A/HRC/39/46, para. 131. ↩
43. See Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, “Death notifications in the Syrian Arab Republic”, 27 November 2018. See also www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23940&LangID=E. ↩

The Working Group reiterates its call to the Security Council to consider referring the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic to the International Criminal Court.⁴⁴

44. A/HRC/27/49, para. 99, and A/HRC/33/51, para. 103. ↩

On 19 September 2011, the Working Group requested an invitation to visit the country. No response yet has been received from the Government, in spite of several reminders. The Working Group hopes to receive a positive reply soon. 42 A/HRC/36/39, para. 105, and A/HRC/39/46, para. 131. 43 See Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, “Death notifications in the Syrian Arab Republic”, 27 November 2018. See also www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23940&LangID=E. 44 A/HRC/27/49, para. 99, and A/HRC/33/51, para. 103. Turkmenistan

The Working Group remains concerned at allegations received concerning the enforced disappearances of persons from within the prison system in Turkmenistan, as a systematic practice (A/HRC/WGEID/116/1, para. 172 and annex I). The number of victims in verified cases reported to the Working Group stands at more than 121. The Working Group has also received reports of victims of enforced disappearance who died in custody. It is of particular concern that some of the victims would have ended their prison terms in 2017 or 2018, yet their relatives still have no information about their fate or whereabouts.

The Working Group reminds the Government of Turkmenistan that the Declaration recognizes the right to be held in an officially recognized place of detention and to be brought before a judicial authority promptly after detention in order to challenge the legality of the detention. Moreover, the Declaration establishes the obligation of the detaining authorities to make available accurate information on the detention of persons and their place of detention to their family, counsel or other persons with a legitimate interest (art. 10). The Declaration also establishes the obligation to maintain in every place of detention an official up-to-date register of detained persons (art. 12) and provides that no circumstances whatsoever, whether a threat of war, a state of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances (art. 7).

On 18 November 2016, the Working Group requested an invitation to visit the country. No response yet has been received from the Government, in spite of a reminder sent on 18 January 2019. The Working Group hopes to receive a positive reply soon. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

The Working Group expresses concern as it continues to receive cases reflecting a pattern of short-term enforced disappearances of political opponents or persons perceived as such, and their relatives, and peaceful protesters in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (see A/HRC/WGEID/117/1, para. 156 and annex I). The Working Group reminds the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that no enforced disappearance is acceptable, no matter how short its duration, and that accurate information on the status of any person deprived of his or her liberty and the place of detention should be made available promptly to family members and legal counsels.

The Working Group continues to be gravely concerned about the situation in Yemen (see A/HRC/33/51, para. 109, A/HRC/36/39, para. 111, and A/HRC/39/46, para. 139), as also confirmed by the Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen, which has indicated that it has reasonable grounds to believe that not only the Government of Yemen, or the de facto authorities, but also the Governments of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are responsible for human rights violations, including enforced disappearance, in the context taking place since 2014 (A/HRC/39/43, para. 106). The Working Group endorses the recommendation addressed by the Group of Eminent Experts to all parties to the conflict to immediately cease all human rights violations, including enforced disappearances (A/HRC/39/43, para. 111 (i)), and reiterates article 7 of the Declaration, which provides that no circumstances whatsoever may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances.

The Working Group alerts the Human Rights Council and the international community as a whole to the fact that it is witnessing new very worrisome trends and phenomena that must ring alarm bells for everyone: the increasing use of extraterritorial abductions by a number of States with the cooperation of many others; the adoption of regressive legislation and measures in the area of truth, justice and reparations; and the proliferation of acts of reprisals towards relatives and civil society organizations, and their increasingly open and shameless nature, as if they were legitimate and normal.

More evidence of the current climate is the fact that it has become increasingly difficult for the Working Group to receive positive replies to its visit requests. Country visits are an integral part of the mandate fulfilled by the Working Group. Visits allow the Working Group to highlight country practices in addressing enforced disappearance, to assist States in reducing obstacles to the implementation of the Declaration and to ensure direct contact with the family members of victims. The Working Group thanks the Governments of Kyrgyzstan, Mali and Tajikistan for the invitations extended during the reporting period. It also recognizes the support provided by the Government of Ukraine during the visit carried out in June 2018. During the reporting period, the Working Group made requests to visit Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Nigeria.

For a number of years, the Working Group has been receiving information about increasing instances of abductions carried out by non-State actors, which may be tantamount to acts of enforced disappearances. In light of its humanitarian mandate and the fact that the victims of these acts do not have any remedy to address their plight, the Working Group has decided to document cases concerning enforced or involuntary disappearances allegedly perpetrated by non-State actors that exercise effective control and/or government-like functions over a territory.

The Working Group reiterates its previous call to be given a role in the follow-up to the findings of the commissions of inquiry and other fact-finding or investigative bodies created by the Human Rights Council insofar as they relate to enforced disappearances (A/HRC/33/51, para. 119, A/HRC/36/39, para. 120 and A/HRC/39/46, para. 150).

The Working Group continues the practice of holding one session each year outside Geneva, in part so as to facilitate interaction with the relatives of disappeared persons and raise awareness of the Working Group’s mandate and activities at the local and regional levels. It appreciates the invitation received from the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to hold a session during the reporting period. The Working Group invites other countries to follow this good example.

The Working Group welcomes the adoption by the Committee on Enforced Disappearances of the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons, at its sixteenth session, which will be an additional tool for the Working Group to fulfil its humanitarian mandate and cooperate with States in their implementation of the Declaration.

The Working Group once again calls upon States that have not signed and/or ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to do so as soon as possible and to accept the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive individual cases under article 31 and inter-State complaints under article 32 of the Convention. Annex I Country visit requests and invitations extended Invitations extended to the WGEID Country Date Algeria tbd Ecuador tbd Iran (Islamic Republic of) tbd Libya tbd, postponed Mali 26 August–3 September 2019 South Sudan Last quarter of 2016 (did not take place) Sudan 20 to 29 November 2017 (did not take place) Visits requested by the WGEID Country Request sent Last reminder sent Afghanistan 17 April 2019 Bahrain 27 October 2014 18 January 2019 Bangladesh 12 March 2013 18 January 2019 Belarus 30 June 2011 8 February 2019 Burkina Faso 2 April 2019 - Burundi 27 May 2009 18 January 2019 Cameroon 12 April 2019 - China 19 February 2013 18 January 2019 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 22 May 2015 18 January 2019 Democratic Republic of the Congo 17 May 2017 18 January 2019 Egypt 30 June 2011 18 January 2019 El Salvador 6 October 2017 8 January 2019 Guatemala 30 May 2018 14 June 2019 India 16 August 2010 18 January 2019 Indonesia 12 December 2006 18 January 2019 Kenya 19 February 2013 23 January 2019 Lebanon 27 November 2015 18 January 2019 Nepal 12 May 2006 18 January 2019 Nicaragua 23 May 2006 18 January 2019 Visits requested by the WGEID Country Request sent Last reminder sent Nigeria 23 January 2019 - North Macedonia 22 April 2016 18 November 2016 Philippines 3 April 2013 18 January 2019 Russian Federation 2 November 2006 23 January 2019 Rwanda 27 October 2014 23 January 2019 South Africa 28 October 2014 23 January 2019 South Sudan 29 August 2011 22 April 2016 Syrian Arab Republic 19 September 2011 18 January 2019 Thailand 30 June 2011 18 January 2019 Turkmenistan 18 November 2016 18 January 2019 United Arab Emirates 13 September 2013 18 January 2019 Uzbekistan 30 June 2011 18 January 2019 Yemen 31 October 2017 - Zimbabwe 20 July 2009 18 January 2019 Annex II Statistical summary: cases of enforced or involuntary disappearance reported to the Working Group between 1980 and 2019, and general allegations transmitted States/entities Cases transmitted to the Government Discontinued cases Closed cases General allegation Outstanding cases Total Cases clarified by: Status of person at date of clarification Cases Female Cases Female Government Sources At liberty In detention Dead GA sent Response Afghanistan Albania Algeria 3 253 3 282 Yes (2013, 2018) Yes Angola Argentina 3 065 3 444 Azerbaijan Bahrain Yes (2014/2018) Yes (2014); No (2018 Bangladesh Yes (2011, 2017, 2019) No Belarus Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Yes (2009/ 2011/2014) Yes Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Yes (2018) Cambodia Cameroon Yes (2016) No States/entities Cases transmitted to the Government Discontinued cases Closed cases General allegation Outstanding cases Total Cases clarified by: Status of person at date of clarification Cases Female Cases Female Government Sources At liberty In detention Dead GA sent Response Central African Republic Yes (2013) No Chad Chile China Yes (2010/2011/2018) Yes; No (2018) Colombia 1 258 Yes (2012/2013/2015/ 2016/2017) Yes; No (2017) Congo Cuba Czechia Yes (2009) Yes Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Yes (2012) No Democratic Republic of the Congo Yes (2015) Yes Denmark Yes (2009) No Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt Yes (2011/2016/2017) Yes; No (2017) El Salvador 2 284 2 675 Yes (2015/ 2015) No Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Yes (2012/2017) No Ethiopia France States/entities Cases transmitted to the Government Discontinued cases Closed cases General allegation Outstanding cases Total Cases clarified by: Status of person at date of clarification Cases Female Cases Female Government Sources At liberty In detention Dead GA sent Response Gambia Georgia Greece Guatemala 2 897 3 154 Yes (2011/2013) Yes Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras India Yes (2009/2011/2013/ 2019) No Indonesia Yes (2011/2013/2017) No Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran) Yes (2017) No Iraq 16 420 2 300 16 568 2 317 Ireland Yes (2009) No Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Yes (2011/2014/2016/ 2017) No Kuwait Lao People’s Democratic Republic Lebanon States/entities Cases transmitted to the Government Discontinued cases Closed cases General allegation Outstanding cases Total Cases clarified by: Status of person at date of clarification Cases Female Cases Female Government Sources At liberty In detention Dead GA sent Response Libya Yes (2014/2018) No Lithuania Yes (2012) Yes Malaysia Maldives Mauritania Mexico Yes (2013/2014/ 2017/2017/2017) No (2014 and one of 2017) Montenegro Morocco Yes (2013) Yes Mozambique Myanmar Yes (2017) No Namibia Nepal Yes (2014) No Nicaragua Nigeria Oman Pakistan 1 144 Yes (2015, 2017, 2019) No (2017); Yes (2019) Paraguay Yes (2014) Yes Peru 2 361 3 003 Philippines Yes (2009/2012) No Republic of Korea Romania Russian Federation Yes (2016, 2018) No (2018) Rwanda Saudi Arabia States/entities Cases transmitted to the Government Discontinued cases Closed cases General allegation Outstanding cases Total Cases clarified by: Status of person at date of clarification Cases Female Cases Female Government Sources At liberty In detention Dead GA sent Response Serbia Seychelles Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Yes (2014) Yes Sri Lanka 6 030 147 12 621 6 551 6 446 Yes (2011/2014) Yes Sudan Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Yes (2011; 2019) Yes (2011); No (2019) Tajikistan Thailand Yes (2008, 2018) No North Macedonia Yes (2009) No Timor-Leste Togo Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Yes (2018) No Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Republic of Tanzania United States of America Yes (2019) No States/entities Cases transmitted to the Government Discontinued cases Closed cases General allegation Outstanding cases Total Cases clarified by: Status of person at date of clarification Cases Female Cases Female Government Sources At liberty In detention Dead GA sent Response Uruguay Yes (2013/2015/ 2018) No (2018) Uzbekistan Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Yes (2019) No Viet Nam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Yes (2009) No State of Palestine Annex III Graphs showing the number of cases of enforced disappearance by country and by year according to the cases transmitted by the Working Group between 1980 and 22 May 2019 (only for countries with more than 100 cases transmitted) DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO