A/54/386
able to resume. Concerning incidents between Christians
and Hindus in the state of Gujarat, it was reported that
these incidents had followed stone-throwing by young
Christians reacting to provocative slogans chanted by
Hindus participating in a rally. The authorities had made
arrests and deployed security officers, and Peace
Committees comprising members of all communities had
been set up. Compensation had been paid for damaged
property. Lastly, the Central Government has sent a
mission to investigate on site.
90. Iran (Islamic Republic of). Mr. Jamal Hajipour and
Mansour Mihrabi were arrested on charges of spying for
foreign countries and acting against national security. In
conformity with due process of law, they were tried by a
competent court in Birjand. The court found them guilty
of charges and in accordance with articles 498, 499, 508
and 510 of the penal code sentenced them to two years’
imprisonment. The verdict was confirmed by branch 8 of
the Khorassan court of appeal. Later, after serving half of
their term, they requested clemency and conditional release
which was approved by the court of appeal of Khorassan.
Consequently, Mr. Jamal Hajipur was released on
23 August 1998 and Mr. Mansur Mihrabi was released on
24 August 1998.
91. Mr. Daryoush Faez was attained on charges of active
participation in an illegal institution. He was later released
to parole in February 1999. Allegation of confiscation of
his properties is categorically unfounded. The lawsuits
against Messrs. Soheil Golkar, Enayat Mazlomi and
Rezvan Ashraf were referred to the office of the Prosecutor
and resulted in “writ of stay”. There are no legal records
for Messrs. Riaz Eighanian, Kamran Mortezaei, Hootan
Kasivi, Foad Sanaei, Rezvan Tavakoli, Rabi (Zabih) Fakhr
Toosi, Misaq Laqaei, Khairollah Bakhshi, Aref Aqdasi
(Aqdami), Naeim Khazeei, Mafkhari and Mrs. Faranak
Eiqani.
92. Messrs. Abbas Koohbour, Peyman Ghadami,
Ghodratollah Rafiei, Arash Kousary and Kambiz Moradi
were detained on charges of conducting illegal activities
on 29 September 1998 in Kermanshah Province and were
subsequently released in less than 24 hours.
93. Malaysia (ibid., para. 72). Malaysia stated that eight
persons had been detained not for having professed Shiism
as the faith of their choice but because of their activities
to spread Shiism, described by Malaysia as “a sect of Islam
that is deviant to the mainstream of Islam in Malaysia”. It
was emphasized that these activities undermined the
religious harmony in Malaysia and could have led to
animosity among the Malaysian Muslims professing the
14
Sunni faith. Concerning the conversion of a Muslim
woman to Christianity, it was said that no threats had been
made against her or her family and that the family had not
lodged any complaint.
94. Sudan (ibid., para. 96). The authorities stated that the
Khartoum Catholic Club had been closed on purely
technical grounds connected with the city development
project. It was added that the authorities were ready to
allocate new locations for such establishments.
95. The Special Rapporteur has still not received replies
to the communications sent in connection with the report
to the fifty-fifth session of the Commission on Human
Rights from the following 20 States: Albania, Angola,
Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Georgia,
Ghana, India (communication concerning women), Iraq,
Kazakhstan, Latvia, Mali, Mauritania, Pakistan, Republic
of Moldova, Russian Federation, Spain, Sudan
(communication concerning the disappearance of a
convert), Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Yemen.
D. Late reply/absence of reply to the
communications transmitted for the
fifty-fourth session of the
Commission on Human Rights
96. Mozambique (see E/CN.4/1998/6). Mozambique
explained that a dispute had arisen concerning the
organization Arco Iris Ministries, which had been
organizing religious activities during class hours.
Following a procedure for settlement of this matter by the
authorities and the head of the centre, Arco Iris Ministries
had been informed that non-compulsory religious activities
could take place during non-teaching time.
97. The analysis of the communications concerning the
1981 Declaration covers the violations identified in earlier
reports — violations of the principles of nondiscrimination and tolerance in the areas of religion and
belief, of freedom of thought, conscience and religion and
belief, of freedom to express one’s religion or belief, of
freedom to dispose of religious property, of the right to life,
physical integrity and health, and women’s rights. The
Special Rapporteur believes that it would even be
appropriate to distinguish between threats to minorities in
the area of religion and of belief. Because of the page limit
for reports, the Special Rapporteur decided to make a
detailed analysis within the framework of his conclusions.