A/HRC/10/8/Add.1 page 21 Observations 73. The Special Rapporteur regrets that she has not received a reply from the Government of Iraq concerning the above mentioned allegations. She would like to refer to Human Rights Committee general comment No. 22 (1993), in which the Committee underlined that no one can be compelled to reveal his thoughts or adherence to a religion or belief. As stated in her latest report to the General Assembly (see A/63/161, paragraph 77), indicating a person’s religious affiliation on official documents carries a serious risk of abuse or subsequent discrimination based on religion or belief, which has to be weighed against the possible reasons for disclosing the holder’s religion. In addition, the General Assembly resolution 63/181 urged States to step up their efforts to protect and promote freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, and to this end, “to ensure that […] everyone has the right to refrain from disclosing information concerning one’s religious affiliation on [official documents] against one’s will.” Communication sent on 28 November 2008 jointly with the Independent Expert on minority issues 74. The Special Procedures mandate holders brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding incidents involving members of the Sabian Mandaean community in Iraq. These incidents include threats to convert to Islam, kidnappings and killings. As a result, a significant number of Sabian Mandaeans have reportedly been compelled to flee to the neighbouring States of Jordan and Syria. 75. On 23 February 2001, the daughter of Mr. and Ms. Al-Sabiri Rawdha was abducted from her school by a 56 year-old man who subsequently forced her to marry him. Later, Mr. and Ms. Al-Sabiri Rawdha received a call telling them not to attempt to call their daughter, since they were infidels. To that day, the parents have received no further information about their daughter. On 23 December 2006, the son of Mr. and Ms. Al-Sabiri Rawdha was kidnapped while he was on his way home from work. As a hostage, he was assaulted, cursed and beaten. He was later released, following the payment of a USD 50,000 ransom. 76. In October 2007, Mr. Al-Sabiri Abdulnabi was kidnapped. Ms. Al-Sabiri paid a USD 40,000 ransom to release him, but he was later found dead, thrown on the roadside. 77. On 17 November 2007, Mr. Al-Nashi Khaldoon and Mr. Al-Nashi Lareen, both Sabian Mandaeans, were on their way to deliver some goldsmith work to the market in Baghdad. Their car was blocked on the way by unknown armed men who killed both of them and threw a paper inside their car, saying it was the certain fate of those “Sabian Mandaeans infidels”. 78. On 26 March 2008, the house of the Al-Hilali family in Wasset has been destroyed by a mortar or RPG-7 attack and ten members of this Sabian Mandaean family died. Only one member of the family survived. The family had been previously threatened because of their membership to the Sabian Mandaean community. They had therefore decided to move out of their house and came back after a while. Six days after they returned, their house was destroyed. 79. On 9 September 2008, three male members of the Al-Sabiri family in Al-Sha’ab neighbourhood in Baghdad, were killed in a jewellery shop by unknown armed men. Before that, Mr. Al-Sabiri had been threatened and shot at near the same shop, for being an “infidel Sabian Mandaean”. He had been told to leave the country.