A/HRC/19/61/Add.4 (b) JUA 21/02/2011 Case No. BGD 2/2011 State reply: 09/03/2011 Alleged detention and torture of opposition politician. 25. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Bangladesh for its response to this communication regarding the alleged detention and torture of Mr. Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, an opposition politician. Regrettably, the Government‟s reply failed to substantively address any of the allegations contained within the joint communication, which give the Special Rapporteur grave concern. According to the information received, following his arrest on 16 December 2010, Mr. Chowdhury was subjected to torture by the Bangladeshi security forces during interrogation at a private residence, with a physician accompanying them. Mr. Chowdhury was reportedly tortured for several hours, including by applying electrodes to his genitals, beating him, slitting his stomach with razors and twisting his toenails and fingernails with pliers. The Special Rapporteur reiterates that paragraph 1 of Human Rights Council Resolution 16/23 of 12 April 2011 “[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.” Moreover, article 12 of the UN Convention against Torture, requires competent authorities to undertake a prompt and impartial investigation wherever there are reasonable grounds to believe that torture has been committed, and article 7 requires State parties to prosecute suspected perpetrators of torture. Based on the information received, the Special Rapporteur determines that the rights of Mr. Chowdhury under the UN Convention against Torture have been violated. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Government to immediately conduct a full investigation and prosecution of those responsible for torture and other ill-treatment, and ensure that Mr. Chowdhury obtains redress, including fair and adequate compensation, and as full rehabilitation as possible. Belarus (a) JUA 22/12/2010 Case No. BLR 1/2010 State reply: 10/01/2011 19/01/2011 Alleged arbitrary detention and torture related to the presidential elections of 19 December 2010. 26. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Belarus for its responses to this communication regarding the alleged detention and torture of demonstrators protesting the results of the presidential elections of 19 December 2010. Of particular concern to the Special Rapporteur are allegations of beating of the opposition leader Mr. Neklyayev by unidentified men purported to be State Security Agents, and the allegations of mistreatment and violence against journalists by the police. The Special Rapporteur notes that paragraph 1 of Human Rights Council Resolution 16/23 of 12 April 2011 “[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.” Based on the information received, the Special Rapporteur determines that the rights of Mr. Neklyayev under the UN Convention against Torture may have been violated, and calls on the Government to conduct a complete and impartial investigation into the aforementioned allegations. (b) JUA 03/03/2011 Case No. BLR 3/2011 State reply: 12/04/2011 Alleged lack of transparency in relation to executions. 27. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Belarus for its reply, dated 12 April 2011, to this communication regarding the sentencing and imminent execution of Mr. 13