A/55/280 Afghanistan 8. Because of the climate of intolerance and religious discrimination in Afghanistan resulting from the Taliban policy, religious minorities, in particular the Sikhs, are beginning to flee the country. These departures are reportedly due to Taliban measures to force conversion to Islam or to place restrictions on women, such as confining them to their homes or requiring them to wear the burqa in public. Moreover, on 19 March 2000, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice announced on Radio Shariat that the celebration of Nowruz, the first day of the Persian solar new year, was anti-Islamic. On 20 March 2000, Taliban soldiers reportedly pursued and assaulted a crowd of people who had gathered to celebrate Nowruz, near the capital at Khair Khana and at the Sakhi shrine at Kabul. Saudi Arabia 9. On 24 April 2000, at Najran, security forces reportedly confronted members of the Ismaili community. According to the Saudi press agency, these incidents were linked to the arrest of a sorcerer, which apparently led to Ismaili demonstrations. The confrontation with security forces reportedly resulted in the death of one person and the wounding of four others. Other sources of information claim that the Ismailis were actually protesting against the closing of an Ismaili mosque by the religious police. 10. In its reply, Saudi Arabia stressed its sincere willingness to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and to provide explanations regarding the above-mentioned allegation. Saudi Arabia said that the information that had been spread by some press agencies on the case in question was imprecise; in reality, this was a passing event that had been exaggerated all out of proportion by certain parties, although the Saudi authorities had immediately offered clarifications on the incident through various press media. Saudi Arabia presented the following account of the facts. Information had reached the security forces about the illegal practice of sorcery on a wide scale by inhabitants of the kingdom, provoking reactions from a large number of citizens and residents. Following repeated complaints about these unacceptable and illegal activities, on 22 April 2000 the authorities allowed security agents to arrest the person concerned on the basis of an official arrest warrant, in order to investigate the complaints. This person’s house was 4 searched, and during this operation one of the individuals present opened fire on the security officers, one of whom was seriously injured. In addition, a group of individuals, taking advantage of the situation, went to the home of the emir of the region to demand the release of the sorcerer; they opened fire in the direction of the emir’s home, killing one guard and wounding three others. Saudi Arabia stressed that this was a case of disturbing the peace, endangering the lives of others and violating the laws and regulations in force. From the circumstances, it seems, according to Saudi Arabia, that no ideological or religious objective was involved. Moreover, the citizens of the Ismaili sect are free, like other citizens, to practise their prayers and religion, and they have their own mosques. The person in question in the above-mentioned incident was arrested for sorcery, a practice forbidden by law in Saudi Arabia. According to Saudi Arabia, this had nothing to do with the person’s membership in the Ismaili sect, whose adherents enjoy the same rights as others, and are subject to the same obligations. With regard to reports of the closing of an Ismaili mosque, Saudi Arabia stated that this allegation was groundless and incorrect; Ismaili mosques are still open and Ismailis may continue to go about their business freely and unhindered. Azerbaijan 11. Following their dismissal in 1999 by the director of the gas refinery Azerbaijan Qaz E’mali Zavodu because of their beliefs (see document E/CN.4/2000/65, para. 14), a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses reportedly filed a suit with the Prosecutor's Office. The Azerbaijani trade union of oil and gas industry workers is said to have replied, with regard to those complaints, that these employees had spread the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who were operating illegally in Azerbaijan. It was reportedly decided, therefore, that these actions were unconstitutional and should be punished by dismissal. The company also filed a complaint on the grounds of illegal religious activity, and an administrative committee is said to have decided in favour of the claim. The committee declared the employees guilty of proselytism and of holding illegal religious meetings, and it reportedly ordered them to pay a fine. The newspaper Ganjlik published an article on these dismissals and is said to have mentioned the names of the employees and to have called them “dogs”, “predators”, and “slaves of