E/CN.4/1992/52
page 26
civilian service. He repeated that he had not received information concerning
the procedure to be followed when he was conscripted. In October 1990, the
Minister of Defence rejected his request because it had been made after the
statutory time-limit.
It was alleged that on 13 September 1990, Mr. Bouteraon, who is still
serving his 15-month prison sentence for refusing to do military service, was
transferred to a civilian prison at Colmar pending his appeal to Colmar Appeal
Court on 6 November 1990. He is also said to have appealed to the Court of
Cassation."
38.
Additional information as follows was transmitted under annex II:
"The Special Rapporteur has received the following allegation from
Miss Nour Ali. Miss Nour Ali made the allegation in an oral statement to the
Commission on Human Rights at its forty-seventh session.
Miss Nour Ali, who is 12 years old, of Iraqi origin and a practising
Muslim, says that she was refused admission to the Lycée international in
Ferney-Voltaire, a State school, from October 1990, for wearing a headscarf.
She wore the headscarf out of personal religious conviction, and had even done
gymnastics with it for two years at primary school without any problem.
While aware of the fact that the countries of origin of persons who mightfind themselves in similar situations do not always apply reciprocity with
respect to the religious tolerance required of the host country, the Special
Rapporteur nevertheless wished to hear the official position of the French
authorities on this matter."
39. In a communication addressed to the Government of Ghana on 15 June 1990
(E/CN.4/1991/56, para. 61) the following information was transmitted:
"It has been reported that the Government has imposed a freeze on any
activity of Jehovah's Witnesses. An official statement allegedly ordered that
their meeting places remain closed throughout the country and that their
office at Nungua stop operating. It has further been reported that
Mr. Gaylord F. Burt, an American missionary, was expelled from the country on
15 June 1989, together with members of his staff."
40.
A reminder sent on 14 May 1991 concerning the allegations of 15 June 1990.
41. On 18 June 1991, the Government of Ghana sent comments to the
Special Rapporteur regarding the above-mentioned allegations.
"It is true that for moral as well as security reasons the activities of
some religious sects have had to be temporarily frozen in Ghana and some
foreign instigators expelled. However, there has been no persecution or
harassment whatsoever against the members of such sects. The churches have
been allowed to keep control of all church properties while the appropriate
governmental organizations investigate those activities detrimental to the
civic upliftment and development of the country.