A/66/268 Key press statements 7. The Special Rapporteur issued the following press statements (many were joint statements with other mandate holders): • On 31 December 2010 — expressing serious concern that enforced or involuntary disappearances, arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and acts of sexual violence may have occurred or may still be occurring in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the presidential elections. • On 14 January 2011 — urging the Government of Tunisia to control the use of force against peaceful demonstrations, after at least 21 deaths were officially confirmed. • On 3 February 2011 — on public unrest in Belarus, Egypt and Tunisia and the alleged infliction of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in connection with suppression of peaceful demonstrations. • On 17 February — urging the transitional Government in Egypt to establish an independent inquiry to investigate human rights violations during the revolution in that country, with the powers to transmit names and evidence for prosecution to the relevant authorities. • On 18 February — urging the Governments of Bahrain and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to guarantee the right to peaceful protest and immediately cease the use of excessive and lethal force. • On 22 February — on the situation of human rights defenders expressing serious concerns about gross violations of human rights that were being committed in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. • On 3 March 2011 — condemning the violent crackdown on protesters in Yemen, and urging the Government to stop the excessive use of force as a means to end ongoing protests. • On 22 March — expressing concerns about increased incidents of serious human rights violations in the capital of Bahrain. • On 1 April 2011 — expressing concerns about serious human rights violations in Côte d’Ivoire, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, killing and maiming of children, and sexual violence which may amount to international crimes, and expressed the full support of the Special Rapporteur and other mandate holders for Security Council resolution 1975 (2011). • On 11 April and 12 July — expressing frustration that despite his repeated requests to visit Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, the Government of the United States of America has not granted him unmonitored access to the detainee. The question of unfettered access goes beyond this case and touches on whether the Special Rapporteur would be able to conduct private and unmonitored interviews with detainees if he were to conduct a country visit to the United States. • On 15 April — denouncing the rising death toll and brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, journalists and human rights defenders in the Syrian Arab Republic despite the Government’s promises of reforms and consultations to end the 48-year-old emergency rule. 11-44570 5