Algeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela are stonewalling UN investigations of arbitary detention

On September 10, 2014 the UN watchdog on arbitrary detention told the UN Human Rights Council that it continued to be denied access to various countries it sought to investigate.

The "Working Group on Arbitrary Detention" was established in 1991 with a mandate to "investigate cases of deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily" including by conducting "field missions upon the invitation of Government".

In its report to the Council the Working Group lists countries which it has requested, but has not been able, to visit. The list includes UN Human Rights Council members and serious human rights abusers like Algeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The working group requested visits to Saudi Arabia and Russia in 2008, to Algeria in 2009 and to Venezuela in 2011.

All of these countries have continually refused to issue an invitation - thereby precluding the UN visit.

Other than the appearance in the report's list, none of these states anticipate any consequences of their non-cooperation.