• • To abandon the policy of force-feeding mentally competent detainees who do not wish to be force-fed, irrespective of whether their life is in danger. Alternatives solutions should be sought, and detainees’ grievances should be discussed with them in good faith; To publicly disclose the videotape recordings of Dhiab’s forcible cell extractions and subsequent force-feedings. B. FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF a. International Standards 246. The right to freedom of religion or belief is protected under Article 18 of the ICCPR as well as OSCE commitments, such as Helsinki 1975 and Vienna 1989.502 It includes the freedoms “to have or adopt a religion or belief of [one’s] choice” and to manifest such religion or belief.503 The former is absolute and can suffer no limitations. The latter, which can be exercised individually or communally, in public or in private, in worship, observance, practice and teaching, may be restricted under certain conditions.504 247. Limitations to the exercise of one’s freedom of religion or belief must always be prescribed by law, proportionate, non-discriminatory and necessary “to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others”.505 National security is not a legitimate ground to restrict the practice of religion.506 Furthermore, the right to freedom of religion or belief may in no circumstances be subject to derogation.507 248. Detainees should not be deprived of their right to freedom of religion or discriminated against on the basis of their religion. Instead, they should “continue to enjoy their rights to manifest their religion or belief to the fullest extent compatible with the specific nature of the constraint”.508 While maintaining security and order in detention facilities can justify certain limitations, it should not result in disproportionate restrictions.509 Additionally, prison authorities should never use detainees’ religious beliefs against them to specifically injure their feelings and/or extract information from them.510 Forcibly shaving off detainees’ beards, taking away prayer books or not allowing detainees to take part in 502 OSCE Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, Final Act, “Questions Relating to Security in Europe: 1(a) Declaration on Principles Guiding Relations between Participating States – Principle VII”, Helsinki, 1975 (hereinafter, “OSCE Helsinki 1975 Document”), <http://www.osce.org/mc/39501?download=true>; OSCE Vienna Document, op. cit., note 90, paras. 11, 16; OSCE Copenhagen Document, op. cit., note 80, para. 9.4. This right is also enshrined in: UDHR, Art. 18; ADRDM, Art. III; ACHR, Art. 12; “Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief”, New York, 25 November 1981, <http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/36/a36r055.htm>. 503 ICCPR, Art. 18. 504 Ibid.; UN HRC, General Comment No. 22, Article 18: The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.4, 30 July 1993, paras. 3-4, <http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.4>. 505 ICCPR, Art. 18, ibid.; UN HRC, General Comment No. 22, ibid., para. 8; OSCE Vienna Document, op. cit., note 90, para. 17; OSCE Copenhagen Document, op. cit., note 80, para. 9.4. 506 UN HRC, General Comment No. 22, ibid. 507 ICCPR, Art. 4; UN HRC, General Comment No. 22, ibid., para. 1. 508 UN HRC, General Comment No. 22, ibid., para. 8. 509 UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, Interim report to the General Assembly, A/64/159, 17 July 2009, para. 20, <http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/64/159>. 510 Ibid.; UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, Interim report to the General Assembly, A/60/399, 30 September 2005, paras. 71-72, 90, <http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/60/399>. 108

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