HOLDING THE UN TO ACCOUNT

Tistounet's censorship campaign

Top UN official Eric Tistounet is running a campaign of harrassment to silence UN Watch, blocking the NGO from its key role of giving a platform to dissidents who confront dictatorships.

Secretary-General Guterres has been given all the evidence. It’s time to hold Tistounet to account.

The problem with Tistounet: In the pocket of dictators

UN Watch specializes in bringing dissidents to testify at the UN Human Rights Council. Its reports and speeches exposing anti-Israel prejudice and combating dictatorships at the UNHRC are seen worldwide.

In retaliation, Eric Tistounet, who has headed the UN human rights office for over 20 years and answers to the world’s worst dictators, is running a campaign of smear attacks, censorship and harassment against UN Watch and specifically its executive director, Hillel Neuer.

According to leaked emails and whistleblower testimony, Tistounet tampers with speakers lists to prevent UN Watch, and the activists it brings, from taking the floor at the Council. Tistounet even plotted with his staff on ways to arrange with UN Security to try and bar Neuer from entering the Council.

Tistounet also collaborated with dictators by handing over the names of dissidents scheduled to speak at the UNHRC in advance, leading to the torture and arrest of their families still in the country.

WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIMONY REVEALS THE TRUTH

Advocating for physical detention

Tistounet thought up ways to prevent Executive Director Hillel Neuer from entering the Human Rights Council. One such instance included emailing his staff that, should Neuer ever be subjected to an Interpol arrest warrant, the UNHRC should comply with it and “forget to raise our usual objection.”

Manipulating the speakers list

According to one of Tistounet’s former employees, Emma Reilly, he would order his staff to move UN Watch’s name down or off the speakers lists, effectively barring Neuer and dissidents brought by UN Watch from speaking.

Tampering with document circulation

The UNHRC stopped publishing the written statements submitted by UN Watch. The staff either ignored questions as to why the statements were not published or made up fictitious excuses.

“Mr. Tistounet made clear on a number of occasions that his ultimate aim was to exclude Mr. Neuer and UN Watch more generally from UN premises...”

“Mr. Tistounet would regularly suggest to Ms Lidiya Grigoreiva of the Civil Society Section that she insist on changes to UN Watch statements, often without any basis in UN rules, when Mr. Tistounet felt that the statements criticised his actions.”

“Every other NGO was offered the opportunity to correct any statement not compliant with UN rules, but this offer would appear not to have been made to UN Watch.”

“He repeatedly instructed me to move UN Watch further down the list for interactive dialogues and panel discussions, such that they would fall below the maximum number of NGO participants and lose the opportunity to speak.”

“On at least two occasions, Mr. Tistounet instructed me to remove UN Watch from the list as I was on my way to the podium of the Human Rights Council”

Take Action

Sign the petition calling on the UN to launch a full investigation into Eric Tistounet’s misconduct and systematic discrimination against UN Watch.

Leaked emails uncover smear campaign against Neuer

According to leaked internal documents, when Tistounet learned in 2007 that Executive Director Hillel Neuer was the victim of a false arrest due to mistaken identity, he sent out a celebratory email to his 50-member staff at the UNHRC.

This chief of the Human Rights Council secretariat further instructed his UN employees to secretly go to an internet café and to anonymously defame Neuer online, and to post the material next to videos of my speeches about the Council.

Finally, according to the leaked emails, Mr. Tistounet told his staff to think of ways to have Neuer physical detained by UN security, in order to block him from entering the Council chamber in Geneva.

Our complaint

UN Watch first exposed Tistounet’s corruption and submitted an official complaint to UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a press conference in New York in 2022.

Hillel Neuer, UN Watch Executive Director, launches formal complaint against Eric Tistounet, chief of the UN Human Rights Council staff, for his gross misconduct and prejudice against UN Watch.

Emma Reilly, a former UN human rights official, reveals how her boss Eric Tistounet, chief of the UNHRC staff, systematically targeted UN Watch for discrimination.

Yang Jianli, Chinese dissident and former political prisoner, on UN Watch’s ever-important work and the injustice of the UNHRC’s censoring of UN Watch.

Take Action

Sign the petition calling on the UN to launch a full investigation into Eric Tistounet’s misconduct and systematic discrimination against UN Watch.

Exposed abuses and bias

UN whistleblower Emma Reilly came forward with evidence of her former boss’ bias and misconduct, including ordering staff to tamper with the Human Rights Council speakers lists, frequently using antisemitic tropes to discuss the organization and our executive director, and concocting fictitious rules to force us to submit speeches in advance.

History of abuse

UN whistleblower Emma Reilly shares her story of widespread abuse by Chief of UNHRC staff Eric Tistounet leading to her dismissal.

Ties to UN Watch haters

Tistounet’s friendship with controversial UN human rights expert Jean Ziegler, who had long-standing contempt for UN Watch, led them to conspire against the organization.

“Mr. Tistounet extended his targeting of UN Watch to his personal friend Mr. Jean Ziegler, whose UN appointments have often been criticized by UN Watch. Uniquely among mandate holders, Mr. Ziegler would frequently come to the NGO liaison office and request to see lists of speakers to verify whether UN Watch would take the floor.”

“On occasion, when a UN Watch speech was received in advance, Mr. Tistounet would request that I draft new language for the President to give a false impression that the speeches broke the rules."

“When points of order are made during speeches by an NGO, the NGO liaison and Secretary are responsible for pressing a button on the podium to pause the NGO speaking time and ensure that, if their speech does not break any rules, they are able to finish it. Mr. Tistounet issued a standing instruction that the button was not to be pressed during UN Watch speeches, but instead that their speaking time should be deemed to continue during the point of order. This instruction applied only to UN Watch.”

Dirty tricks exposed

Executive Director Hillel Neuer testified to the US Congress on Tistounet’s misconduct in June 2023.

According to whistleblower testimony by Tistounet’s former colleague Emma Reilly, Tistounet justified his actions by falsely claiming that UN Watch was an “Israeli GONGO” — a fake, government-operated NGO.

When discussing UN Watch and Neuer, Reilly reports that the chief of the Human Rights Council secretariat would frequently use antisemitic tropes, to the effect that we were controlling member states or other NGOs behind the scenes.

Based on leaked internal emails and whistleblower testimony, our complaint documents how Tistounet, in violation of UN rules, systematically orders his staff to manipulate speakers lists to prevent UN Watch from speaking at the Human Rights Council. For example, in the June 2022 session, we requested to speak for 36 interactive debates. Groups close to Mr. Tistounet received about 15 slots, we received zero.

A top UN official is tampering with speakers’ lists to prevent a watchdog group from taking the floor at the Human Rights Council. Listen to the shocking story of Eric Tistounet’s dirty tricks campaign to target, censor and smear UN Watch, as told here for the first time in full by Executive Director Hillel Neuer, interviewed by Director of Research Shany Mor.

The beginning of Tistounet's vendetta

In 2007, Neuer famously took the floor at the UN Human Rights Council and exposed its failures, in a speech that went viral worldwide. Tistounet, who had proposed to the Chair that he stop the speech, never forgave Neuer.

Take Action

Sign the petition to have Eric Tistounet suspended for his misconduct and systematic discrimination against UN Watch

Timeline of events

Tistounet’s behaviour and escalating censorship directly contradicts the mandate of the UNHRC and places human rights activists at risk.

Tistounet colludes with controversial UN expert, Jean Ziegler, to silence UN Watch

Hillel Neuer gives viral "banned speech" which unleashes wave of discrimination

Leaked emails show Tistounet instructing staff to bar Hillel Neuer from entering the Council and anonymously smear him online

Tistounet secretly hands over names of activists to Chinese government, accepts financial favors, and leads unethical recruitments

UN Whistleblower comes forward with evidence confirming Tistounet's corruption

OHCHR issues press release dodging accusations and criticizing UN Watch

In a letter to the High Commissioner, UN Watch refutes the press release, reiterating overlooked points and the gravity of the violations

Spokesperson for the UN-SG admits the UN gave names to governments until 2015 in a press conference

Escalating Censorship: UN Watch receives 3% of speaking slots requested for the 47th Human Rights Council, other NGOs receive 40-60%

Tistounet fails to provide explanation to UN Watch letter to Human Rights Council President on speaker list manipulation

UN Watch receives zero speaking slots for the 50th Human Rights Council session

UN Watch files official complaint to Secretary-General Guterres attesting 15 years of discrimination by Tistounet

Hillel Neuer, UN whistleblower Emma Reilly, and Chinese dissident Yang Jianli expose Tistounet's abuse of power to the press

Tistounet continues to systemically silence UN Watch, permitting only one speech at the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council, other NGOs receive over 15

Hillel Neuer testifies before House Sub-committee on Tistounet's abuse of power, congressmen pledge assistance

100 human rights activists and civil society organizations urge UN probe into Tistounet

Official Documents

Take Action

Sign the petition to have Eric Tistounet suspended for his misconduct and systematic discrimination against UN Watch

HOLDING THE UN TO ACCOUNT

Tistounet's censorship campaign

The problem with Tistounet: In the pocket of dictators

WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIMONY REVEALS THE TRUTH

Advocating for physical detention

Manipulating the speakers list

Tampering with document circulation

Take Action

Leaked emails uncover smear campaign against Neuer

Our complaint

Take Action

Exposed abuses and bias

History of abuse

Ties to UN Watch haters

Dirty tricks exposed

The beginning of Tistounet's vendetta

Take Action

Timeline of events

resources

Official Documents

Take Action

Your Voice at the United Nations

Keep in touch

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