A/HRC/WGAD/2012/4 11. The source also reports that Ms. Shin and her two daughters have been held in detention since 1987 and that DPRK’s National Security Agency is responsible for overseeing their detention. 12. Ms. Shin and her daughters were initially detained in Yodok Camp, more specifically in an area called Daesuk-ri. Thereafter, they were moved to a camp near Pyongyang. Since the early 1990s, there has been no news of the whereabouts of Ms. Shin and her daughters. 13. The source reports that Ms. Shin and her daughters are ordinary civilians who have been detained solely because of Mr. Oh’s defection. Reportedly, despite numerous attempts by Mr. Oh to obtain news of Ms. Shin and their daughters, the authorities of DPRK have ignored these requests. The source further asserts that there are no adequate or reasonable legal provisions that justify the detention of Ms. Shin and her two daughters, and that they are not remaining in DPRK of their own free will. 14. In 1995, the Working Group was seized of the case relating to Ms. Shin and her two daughters, but filed the case under paragraph 14 (b) of its former Methods of work (E/CN.4/1992/20, p. 6). Upon receipt of further information, the Working Group addressed a communication to the Government of DPRK on 1 March 2012. The Working Group requested the Government to provide detailed information about the current situation of Ms. Shin and her daughters, and to provide clarification about the legal provisions justifying their continued detention. Response from the Government 15. The Government responded on 27 April 2012, and provided the following information: “Ms Sin Suk Ja (Ms. Shin Sook Ja), the ex-wife of Oh, died of hepatitis that she suffered since the 1980s. Second, two daughters of Ms. Shin do not regard Oh as their father since he abandoned his family and drove their mother to her death. They strongly refuse to deal with Mr. Oh and ask him not to bother them anymore”. 16. In the response it is added that “the case mentioned in your letter has nothing to do with arbitrary detention.” Comments from the source 17. In its comments of 2 May 2012 the source requests further verification of Shin Sook Ja’s death and the situation of Oh Hae Won and Oh Kyu Won. According to the source, if the Government is claiming that Shin Sook Ja is not being arbitrarily detained and has died, it must provide precise information on the time and place of her death. The source also states that Shin Sook Ja was never divorced from her husband and therefore is not an “exwife” as mentioned in the Government’s response. The source further requests the Working Group to consider the detention of Oh Hae Won and Oh Kyu Won as arbitrary and in violation of international law. Discussion 18. As mentioned above, the Working Group had already considered a case relating to Ms. Shin and her two daughters in 1995. This was filed under paragraph 14 (b) of the Working Group’s former Methods of work. Since the Working Group did not issue an opinion in 1995, the procedure for review of an opinion, as per paragraph 21 of the Working Group’s revised Methods of work, do not apply. The detention in the period since 1995 also constitutes a new and different case under the Working Group’s revised Methods of work. 3