E/CN.4/2006/120 page 19 Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. In its general comment No. 22, the Human Rights Committee interprets article 18 to the effect that “persons already subject to certain legitimate constraints, such as prisoners, continue to enjoy their rights to manifest their religion or belief to the fullest extent compatible with the specific nature of the constraint”.83 A person deprived of his or her liberty cannot be deprived of his or her right to freedom of religion or belief. These standards must be applied to every person, regardless of their religion or belief, and in all detention facilities.84 58. Article 18 (3) of ICCPR provides that “[f]reedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others”.85 On these limitations, the Committee “observes that paragraph 3 of article 18 is to be strictly interpreted: restrictions are not allowed on grounds not specified there, even if they would be allowed as restrictions to other rights protected in the Covenant, such as national security”.86 Moreover, under article 4 of ICCPR, the right to freedom of religion or belief may in no circumstances be subject to derogation. 59. Finally, the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions oblige parties to respect the religion and religious practices of persons deprived of their liberty in the context of an armed conflict, including prisoners of war, interned persons and other types of detainees. This includes the freedom to practise one’s religion, the access to clergy, and the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of religion.87 B. Reported human rights allegations 60. The review of a number of official documents and reports as well as information obtained on the basis of interviews reveal that certain interrogation techniques that were especially degrading for members of certain religions were authorized by the United States authorities.88 Other treatments which may have been specifically designed to offend the religious sensitivities of the detainees, were repeatedly used by those involved in the custody, interrogation and treatment of detainees (e.g. use of female interrogators, who performed, inter alia, “lap dances during interrogations”).89 It was also reported that these techniques were used before prayer times and that in some cases, detainees were not allowed to wash themselves before and therefore were not able to pray. 61. The list of officially approved interrogation techniques in force today90 allows for the removal of religious items (e.g. the Holy Koran). This constitutes an impermissible limitation on the right to freedom of religion or belief of detainees. 62. There was particular concern at reports of possible mishandling of religious objects, such as the Holy Koran. The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief sent a communication on this matter to the Government of the United States on 23 May 2005. The Government reply of 18 August 2005 provided detailed information on the investigations that were conducted following these allegations, as well as on the existing measures and guidelines for the personnel of the detention facilities. As a result of their investigations, the Government