E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1 Page 72 officially registered in the country. Furthermore, in May 2004, a law was adopted which abolished criminal liability for activities of religious organizations that are not registered in accordance with the requirements. The Government stressed that it implements international norms relating to the observance of the religious rights and freedoms of citizens, ensuring in this context harmony among the religious confessions throughout the territory of the country. In this connection, the Government indicated that it regretted that sometimes some unreliable sources gave non-objective information on this matter. The Government finally stated that the facts mentioned in the letter sent by the Special Rapporteur did not correspond to the reality. Observations 281. The Special Rapporteur is grateful for the details provided in the reply of the Government. However, she still awaits the observations of the Government on the particular cases that she has brought to its attention. She would also like to recall her request for an invitation to visit the country that has so far remained unanswered. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Communications and replies received 282. On 26 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication to the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in connection with information received according to which on 18 March 2004, vandals had attacked around 40 Muslim graves at a cemetery in Charlton, south-east London, in an apparent hate crime. Headstones were reportedly smashed and pictures removed from graves. British Islamic leaders had allegedly warned about a possible backlash against Muslims in the wake of attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda or other hard-line Islamic groups. 283. By letter dated 10 September 2004, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland provided the Special Rapporteur with a summary prepared by the United Kingdom Home Office, the department with lead responsibility for these issues. 284. On 18 March 2004, approximately 72 graves in Charlton Cemetery, south-east London, were discovered to have been desecrated or damaged in the course of the previous night. Some of the headstones had been pushed over and the flowers that had been placed by relatives removed and thrown about. Other headstones had been smashed to pieces with what appeared to have been a hammer. The desecration had been limited to a part of the cemetery that was occupied mainly by the deceased of Turkish or Cypriot descent and Muslim faith. The majority of the desecrated graves had markings or writing on them that would indicate that the occupant was of Muslim faith. One Catholic grave, which was situated next to the Muslim plots, had also been desecrated. 285. The Government indicated that three suspects were charged with Racially Aggravated Criminal Damage contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 as defined by section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The suspects admitted involvement in the desecration but two of them denied any racial or religious motivation