A/HRC/22/53/Add.4 prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” In light of the fact that no evidence has been provided to the contrary, the Special Rapporteur concludes that there have been several violations of rights of Mr. Salah Mohammed and other victims under international law. The Special Rapporteur urges the Government to cease the practice of secret detention and calls on the Government to undertake a prompt and impartial investigation of the allegations of torture and ill-treatment, to ensure the accountability of those responsible, to offer redress, reparations and rehabilitation to the victims and to prevent the recurrence of these acts. (f) JUA 05/09/2012 Case No. SDN 6/2012 State reply: None to date Alleged death sentence by stoning of a 23-year-old woman for charges of adultery. 129. The Special Rapporteur regrets that the Government of the Republic of Sudan has not responded to this communication dated 5 September 2012, thereby failing to cooperate with the mandate issued by the Human Rights Council. The communication referred to the alleged sentencing to death by stoning of Ms. Layla Ibrahim Issa for the crime of adultery, charges which were brought by her husband. The Special Rapporteur expressed grave concern regarding the allegation that Ms. Ibrahim Issa wasshackled together with her 6-month old baby. With respect to the imposition of the death penalty, the Special Rapporteur reiterates the Government‟s obligations to Article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that “in countries which have not abolished the death penalty,” the “sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes.” The Special Rapporteur reminds the Government that corporal punishment can amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment or even torture, which is provided in the Resolution 2005/39 of the Commission on Human Rights. Stoning as a means of executing a death sentence has universally been condemned as cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Accordingly, and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the Special Rapporteur determines that the rights of Ms. Layla Ibrahim Issa under the international law have been violated. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Government of the Republic of Sudan to eliminate the imposition of the death penalty, and if the Government must impose the death penalty, to do so only in cases where it can be shown that there was an intention to kill which resulted in the loss of life. The Special Rapporteur therefore calls on the Government for commutation of the sentence. Syrian Arab Republic (a) JUA 20/02/2012 Case No. SYR 2/2012 State reply: None to date Alleged arbitrary detention of at least 16 persons, including human rights defenders in Damascus, and alleged torture in detention. 130. The Special Rapporteur regrets that the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic has not responded to this communication dated 20 February 2012, thereby failing to cooperate with the mandate issued by the Human Rights Council. The communication referred to the alleged arbitrary detention of at least 16 persons, including prominent human rights defenders, and the reported ill-treatment and torture of the male detainees. The Special Rapporteur expresses serious concern about the allegations that several of the aforementioned individuals remain in detention and have been subjected to torture while in detention. In this context, the Special Rapporteur reiterates that paragraph 1 of Human Rights Council Resolution 16/23 “[c]ondemns all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including through intimidation, which are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever and can thus never be justified, and calls upon all States to implement fully the absolute and non-derogable prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” In light of the fact that no evidence has been 72