The post PETITION: Pull Out of UN’s Antisemitic “Durban 25” Meeting appeared first on UN Watch.

“Under Bachelet’s tenure, the office tasked with defending human rights became an office that protected the world’s worst abusers,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. “The next secretary-general must be someone willing to confront dictators, not shield them.”

UN Watch sent a letter directly to Bachelet, as well as to various UN Security Council members, including the U.S., UK, France, Denmark, Latvia, Greece, Panama, and Liberia, presenting 11 questions about her record and urging governments to demand answers before extending any support to her candidacy.

The letters draw on UN Watch’s September 2022 report, “Blind Eye to Dictatorships,” which documented that during Bachelet’s tenure, the UN human rights office applied grossly disproportionate attention to criticizing liberal democracies while giving a free pass to authoritarian regimes that systematically suppress dissent.

Bachelet is one of five candidates vying to succeed Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends December 31. The others are Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, Macky Sall of Senegal, and María Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador. The Security Council is expected to recommend a candidate in the coming months, with the General Assembly formally appointing the next secretary-general before year’s end.

Among the questions UN Watch is demanding Bachelet answer before the Security Council vote:

• On Russia: Why did she fail to initiate a single statement on Russian political prisoners, including dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, and remain publicly silent on the arrest and attempted poisoning of Alexei Navalny until after his Feb. 2021 sentencing?
• On China: Why did she fail to initiate a single statement on the detention of more than one million Uyghurs in China until the final hour of her mandate, despite repeated appeals from UN Watch and widespread international concern?
• On Iran: Why did she fail to initiate a single statement on Iran’s forced hijab laws and systemic discrimination against women?
• On Venezuela: Why did she initiate more stand-alone criticisms of the United States than of Nicolás Maduro’s regime, despite extensive evidence of arbitrary detention, torture and repression in Venezuela documented by her own UN human rights office?
• On North Korea: Why did she initiate only one stand-alone criticism of North Korea, treating one of the world’s most severe human rights violators similarly to how she treated democratic Australia, Spain and the European Union?
• On Antisemitism: Why did she fail to initiate a single stand-alone statement following major antisemitic attacks, including the synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh and Poway and the hostage-taking at the synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, even as she publicly spoke out on other forms of racist violence?

“This system was created to defend victims of abuse,” Neuer said. “Before any government can consider supporting her candidacy, the world deserves clear answers.”

Pursuant to UN General Assembly resolution 79/327, the secretary-general must embody “the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity,” and the UN chief is expected to serve as “a spokesperson for the interests of the world’s peoples, in particular the poor and vulnerable among them.”

“A secretary-general must be willing to confront dictators when it matters most, not look away when the perpetrators are powerful,” Neuer said. “The United Nations cannot restore its credibility by elevating officials who repeatedly failed to speak out against major abuses in China, Iran, Russia and elsewhere. Before any government supports Bachelet’s candidacy, the world deserves clear answers about her record.”

ABOUT UN WATCH:
UN Watch is a Geneva-based non-governmental organization dedicated to holding the United Nations accountable to its founding principles of human rights, equality, and justice. Founded in 1993, UN Watch monitors UN institutions, exposes bias and misconduct, and advocates for reforms that strengthen the UN’s credibility and effectiveness. Through research, advocacy, and engagement at the UN, UN Watch works to ensure that universal human rights are upheld for all.

The post UN Watch Urges Security Council to Block Bachelet’s Bid for Secretary-General appeared first on UN Watch.

On September 8, 2025, the Swiss human rights NGO UN Watch hosted a side event at the Palais de Nations in Geneva addressing the escalating crisis faced by religious and ethnic minorities in Syria. The event, titled “Minority Rights in the Syrian Arab Republic,” brought together a distinguished panel of speakers from Alawite, Christian, Druze, Kurdish, and other minority communities to provide firsthand accounts and expert analysis on the recent wave of targeted violence affecting these vulnerable populations.

The panel discussion featured prominent voices, including Syrian-born German peace entrepreneur and activist Rawan Osman; Dr. Mouna Ghanem, spokeswoman of the Supreme Alawite Council and founder of the Women Forum for Peace; Sheruan Hassan, diplomatic advisor to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria; Wael Mughrabi, a Druze leader who has served as Head of the Ein Qiniyye Local Council in the Golan since 2018; and Mimi Hassan, the first Yazidi woman appointed to a religious role. This critical gathering at the U.N. on the opening day of the 60th session of its Human Rights Council in Geneva aimed to shed light on the urgent human rights situation facing Syria’s minority communities.

Rawan Osman’s Full Remarks:

“Excellencies, distinguished guests, friends,

I am here today as a Syrian activist, the daughter of a Sunni father from Damascus. But more than that, I am here as a witness — and as a voice for communities that are being silenced, besieged, and slaughtered.

I want to begin with a truth that many prefer to ignore: the Syrian people have been betrayed twice. First, by Assad, who destroyed his own nation, murdering hundreds of thousands and displacing millions. And second, by jihadists, who rose in his shadow, promising liberation but delivering the same cruelty, only with a different flag.

It was the massacre of October 7 that made me step forward publicly. When Hamas filmed its atrocities and spread them like trophies, I feared this would become the new standard — to normalize the killing, humiliating, raping, and kidnapping of civilians. And that fear was not misplaced. Because in Syria, we have seen the same scenes: jihadists filming themselves tormenting Kurds, Alawites, Christians, and now, most recently, the Druze of Sweida.

Sweida is under siege. Its people are cut off, its young abducted, its families starved into submission. And the world, once again, looks away.

What do you expect Syrians to do?
The unarmed were killed. The armed were killed. Those who could flee, fled — millions of them. And those who remain, the most vulnerable, are now begging you for help.

Will the international community tell them, “We have had enough of your suffering”? Or will you look the other way, shake hands with extremists seeking legitimacy, and pretend that Syria is no longer your problem?

Some will say, “At least Assad was better than Al-Julani.” But let me remind you: it is because of Assad that men like Al-Julani exist. It is Assad’s prisons, his torture chambers, his massacres that bred a generation of broken men ready to be recruited by jihadists. Assad and the extremists are not opposites. They are partners in a cycle of despair.

And while Assad committed these crimes, the world failed to stop him. He even found recognition, even sympathy, in some capitals. The Syrians, meanwhile, were left with no choice but to flee or to fight.

And I ask you: will you let them down again?

Because when the world abandoned us before, the consequences did not stay inside Syria. We all remember the refugee crisis. We all remember the shockwaves that shook Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. To ignore Syria again is to invite those consequences to repeat themselves.

There is another danger we must confront. Ahmad Ash-Sharaa — Al-Julani — is no longer just a warlord. He is building a political project. He has a base of supporters. And his project is explicitly Islamist. It offers no future for Syria’s minorities, no protection for non-Muslims, no space for diversity.

That is why Syrians — Druze, Alawite, Kurd, Christian, and Sunni — have begun to seek compromise. They are asking for a decentralized system, a structure that can preserve lives and prevent another cycle of bloodshed.

You can deny Syrians this right only if you are able to guarantee their safety, only if you can present a better alternative. Otherwise, denying it is condemning them to slaughter.

Friends, the Syrian people were abandoned once. Will you abandon them again?
Will you allow jihadists to set the red lines, or will you, as representatives of humanity, finally set them?

Syria is a ticking bomb. If ignored again, it will not remain contained. But if you act now — if you save Sweida, if you protect Syria’s diversity, if you stand with those who demand a future beyond dictatorship and extremism — then you can restore faith, not only in Syria, but in international justice itself.

We Syrians are not asking for miracles. We are asking for the simplest of rights: the right to live.

Thank you.”

Sheruan Hassan’s Full Remarks:

“Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

I address you today at this important international forum as Syria stands at a critical juncture in its history. Over the past decades, our country has witnessed a steady erosion of state legitimacy and the collapse of its institutions—culminating in the uprising of 2011 and the devastating war that followed. At the core of this failure lies the model of the centralized nation-state, which ignored Syria’s diversity, excluded its components, and transformed the state into an instrument of authoritarianism rather than a framework embracing all its people. Among the most affected were the Kurdish communities, who for decades were denied their national and cultural rights and subjected to systematic marginalization and discrimination.

The experience of recent years has shown that terrorism and violence have spared no one. In 2014, the city of Kobani faced a brutal assault by ISIS, while the Yazidi people of Sinjar endured a tragedy that remains a wound in the conscience of humanity. These events demonstrated that cooperation among Syria’s diverse communities is the only path to survival in the face of extremism and attempted annihilation.

Today, with power in Damascus having fallen into the hands of groups with a radical jihadist orientation, we face a new wave of atrocities: massacres in the coastal region, violence in Sweida, and the bombing of places of worship, including the tragic attack on St. Elias Church in Damascus. These crimes prove that the threat does not target a single community—it endangers all Syrians: Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, Alawites, and Druze alike. And its consequences extend well beyond our borders, posing direct risks to regional stability and to Europe itself.

Senior military positions are now controlled by foreign commanders implicated in crimes against humanity. Educational institutions have been politicized and turned into instruments of indoctrination, while constitutional declarations have been stripped of any democratic content. What we see today is not governance but extremist rule that exploits religion to justify repression and systematic violations.

Excellencies,
The consequences are catastrophic: massacres, displacement, denial of rights, and millions of refugees unable to return home. Leaving Syria in the grip of these forces will not only destroy what remains of our society, it will turn the country into a global hub of terrorism—with Europe as a direct target.

We therefore affirm, with clarity, that the realistic path forward lies in adopting a democratic, decentralized/federal system of governance that respects diversity. This is not merely a political arrangement; it is a practical guarantee for safeguarding cultural, religious, and linguistic rights, ensuring fair participation for all components in shaping the country’s future, and preventing the return of authoritarianism or the emergence of a new “Afghanistan” on Europe’s doorstep.

We look to the support of European states—our partners in the international community—to help us build a new Syria based on democracy, decentralization, and the rule of law. We appeal to you to stand with us in preventing the recurrence of past atrocities, and in advancing a political path that secures peace, dignity, and stability for our people, while contributing to regional and international security.

Thank you.”

Wael Mughrabi’s Full Remarks:

“History does not repeat itself, but it offers valuable lessons.

The issue of minorities has been instrumental not only in shaping contemporary Europe but also in achieving peace, prosperity, and stability. Prior to the commencement of World War I, Europe was characterized by a significant presence of minority groups, with Imperial Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Czarist Russia collectively administering approximately 60 million minority individuals. This figure was subsequently reduced to 25 million because of political agreements such as the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of St. Germain. During World War II, 55 ethnic groups underwent significant transformation due to territorial exchanges. In the post-war period, Europe no longer serves as the primary locus of minority issues as it once did; this role has been assumed by the predominantly Muslim Middle East. It was estimated in 1947 that one in every four individuals in the Arab countries belonged to a minority group.

The challenges encountered by minority groups within Islamic societies can be traced to the foundational principles of Islamic governance. This governance is predicated on divine authority, with Muslims acting as representatives of God. In contrast, non-Muslims, such as Jews and Christians, are frequently regarded as second-class citizens, subject to discrimination and marginalization while other nonbelievers may face severe consequences, including the threat of death.

Following World War II, Moslem Arab countries were unsuccessful in establishing modern states that ensured equal citizenship and transcended discrimination against minority groups. By February 1960, only between 14,000 and 51,000 of the original 291,000 Jews who resided in these Arab states in 1948 remained. In May 1941, American sources reported a rise in fanaticism throughout Syria, accompanied by serious anti-Christian incidents. By November 1945, 20,000 Christians had fled to Lebanon. Tensions emerged over Article 3 of the new Syrian constitution, which declared ‘Islam is the religion of the Syrian State’. Christian leaders opposed this clause, arguing it would subject them to Islamic personal code law. The Patriarch in Damascus, Alexdros Tahar, criticized the notion of Islam as the state religion of Syria, stating: ‘Syria belonged to the Christians before it belonged to the Moslems. This time we are not going to embrace Islam to be safe in Syria. Either we will leave Syria to the Moslems and go into exile, or else Syria must belong to all Syrians alike.’

Christians went into exile and history repeats itself with Druze and Alawites.

Following the seizure of power in Damascus on December 8, 2024, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) commenced a series of human rights violations against the Alawite community, an indigenous group residing in Syria since the 11th century. Between March 7 and 11, 2025, brutal massacres targeting the Alawite sect were perpetrated by both Syrian and foreign factions, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians. While the estimated death toll is approximately 3,000, a Reuters report dated June 30, 2025, suggests the number is 1,500. This discrepancy may be attributed to undiscovered mass graves. Human rights reports indicate that over 64 women, aged 11 to 55, have been abducted, with 18 being minors. Some of these women were trafficked for sexual exploitation, while others were released following ransom payments. Killing, abduction, and forced displacement persist as ongoing realities.

With radical Islam now dominating Syria and seeking to eradicate all minorities within the country, what options do we have? There is no nation to which our people can turn, no homeland ready and willing to welcome them. They are compelled to remain where they are, if they survive, becoming equally disheartened, frustrated, and resentful like millions of Muslim Kurds who are increasingly losing hope for the realization of their aspirations for unification and autonomy. The cycle of ethnic, religious, social, cultural or linguistic violent conflict will continue to repeat itself, and no peace or stability could be achieved in the Middle East.

At this pivotal moment in history, we must address the root causes of conflict: economic despair, social injustice, and political oppression. We need to make creative efforts that match the severity of the threats we face and find the right political system to govern Syria.

When historical lessons are not properly grasped, history tends to repeat itself. This was evident in Europe with the resurgence of minority conflicts, particularly when the Ukrainian government’s mishandling of minority issues in 2014, including its failed attempt to repeal language rights legislation, provided Russia with an opportunity to claim that the Russian minority needed protection.”

The post UN Watch Hosts Event on Escalating Crisis of Minority Rights in Syria appeared first on UN Watch.

“It’s like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch. “Electing repressive regimes like China, Russia and Turkey to a key UN council, which has the power to expel human rights groups from the UN, is a moral outrage, and shame on our democracies who were complicit.”

Neuer called on UN chief Antonio Guterres, UN rights chief Volker Türk and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to condemn the election of dictatorships to ECOSOC.

“Today’s election diminishes the credibility of the United Nations human rights system and casts a shadow upon the reputation of the organization as a whole,” Neuer said.

Russia won 115 votes, or 61% of those voting in the UN General Assembly ballot yesterday. Turkey won 174 votes (92%); China won 180 votes (95%); Chad won 183 votes (96%); Burundi won 184 votes (97%). Another 13 countries were also elected, including Lebanon, Mozambique and Norway.

UN Watch criticized the EU’s 27 member states, many of whom voted for China, Turkey, Burundi and Chad.

While the UN ballot was secret, the results show that only 9 of 189 UN states voting in the UN General Assembly declined to vote for China. “Consequently, at least 18 EU countries voted for Xi Jinping’s oppressive regime, which has a million Uighur Muslims locked up in camps.”

Likewise, only 15 countries declined to vote for Turkey, meaning at least 12 EU states voted for the Erdogan regime that has imprisoned opposition leaders and severely curtailed civil liberties. The EU even congratulated the Erdogan regime on its election.

A majority of at least 21 EU states voted for serial abusers Burundi and Chad.

ECOSOC is Key UN Organ Overseeing Human Rights Bodies

ECOSOC is the sole principal organ under the UN Charter mandated to adopt resolutions for the purpose of “promoting respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.”

The body accredits and oversees human rights groups at the UN, deciding which of them can participate at the UN Human Rights Council.

“This UN vote gives non-democracies malign influence at the world body. World leaders who failed to prevent it must now speak out for basic decency and morality in UN bodies,” said Neuer.

Importantly, ECOSOC decides which nations will sit on the UN Commission on the Status of Women, and the and the Executive Board of UN Women. As a result, it is more likely that misogynistic regimes like the Islamic Republic of Iran will be elected again to the UN’s top bodies for the empowerment of women and gender equality.

As ECOSOC member, China, Russia and Turkey will also be voting for who gets to sit on the UN’s Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the UN Commission for Social Development.

The post China, Russia, Turkey Win Seats On UN Organ Overseeing Human Rights appeared first on UN Watch.

On Monday, March 18th, the presidency of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament will be handed over to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We urge all world leaders to STOP legitimizing a radical regime that sponsors terrorism around the globe, kills its own people for protesting for their human rights, and is racing to build a nuclear bomb to threaten the world.

We call on all Ambassadors to walk out of the U.N. chamber when the Islamic Republic takes over as president.

The post Walk Out: Say No to Ayatollah Chairing U.N. Disarmament Conference appeared first on UN Watch.

GENEVA, December 29, 2023 — U.S. senators are calling on UN Women to fire one of their top officials after the UN admitted that she violated their code of conduct by using her social media accounts to endorse more than 150 claims that Israel committed “genocide” and other crimes.

In wake of an exposé by a watchdog group, the UN recently admitted that UN Women Deputy Chief Sarah Douglas “committed a violation of the Code of Conduct” in connection with her anti-Israel activity on social media, that the matter is “being dealt with,” according to a statement by the UN Secretary-General’s spokesman.

“Douglas made one anti-Israel post after another, all while refusing to advocate for the innocent women Hamas terrorists abused,” tweeted Senator Rick Scott today. “The only way UN Women should deal with Sarah Douglas is by firing her.” 

Last week, Ms. Douglas deleted her social media accounts on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn after the exposé revealed her partisan political activity in endorsing 153 posts since October 7th that promoted anti-Zionism, accused Israel of “genocide,” and celebrated shutting down bridges and highways for campaigns opposing Israel.

“The UN has admitted that Sarah Douglas violated its code of conduct for spewing antisemitic rhetoric,” tweeted Senator Marsha Blackburn yesterday. “When will she be fired for her actions?”

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent nongovernmental organization based in Geneva, welcomed what he said was “a rare admission by the UN of malfeasance committed by one of their senior officials.”

“But this isn’t enough. Although the spokesman of the UN secretary-general referred to ‘a violation’ of the UN’s Code of Conduct by Sarah Douglas, in fact there were at least 154 violations in the past two months alone.”

“We remind the UN that Ms. Douglas publicly endorsed no less than 153 tweets accusing Israel of genocide and other crimes, and that she addressed the UN from her home sitting next to a giant ‘Palestine’ poster with the colors of the Palestinian flag. Moreover, in previous years, she attacked the U.S. and glorified former PLO official Hanan Ashrawi, who recently defended the October 7th massacre.”

“Given that Ms. Douglas deleted her accounts, how will the UN find the evidence? Fortunately, we have screenshots of her tweets that have not yet been published. If UN Women is truly investigating, why haven’t they contacted us yet? We are prepared to share with them all of the evidence.”

“The UN cannot be allowed to dismiss and downplay what is in fact a lengthy, years-long pattern and practice of Sarah Douglas’ gross and systematic violations of her oath of neutrality.”

“Sarah Douglas has publicly endorsed the Hamas narrative, and every day that she remains is not only a black stain on the credibility of UN Women, but casts a shadow upon the United Nations itself. We are calling on the UN to remove her immediately.”

In a campaign launched by UN Watch with the hashtag #FireSarahDouglas on Instagram and X, nearly 10,000 people have signed a petition demanding that she be fired.

The Wall Street Journal editorial board dedicated a column to the controversy, entitled “Hamas’s Friends at the UN,” writing that “Section 101 of the UN charter on the conduct of staff notes that working as an international civil servant demands ‘integrity, independence and impartiality.’ Staff are not permitted to make statements or ‘any kind of public pronouncement’ that would call their impartiality into question. Yet Ms. Douglas carries on without rebuke.”

The UN has admitted that Sarah Douglas violated its code of conduct for spewing antisemitic rhetoric.

When will she be fired for her actions? https://t.co/zbZINoBBBC

— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) December 27, 2023

UN spokesman said, “I understand there was a violation of the Code of Conduct by this individual.”

No. There was not “a violation.” There were 153 gross violations by Sarah Douglas in the past 2 months alone, and many more before.@antonioguterres, we demand: #FireSarahDouglas. https://t.co/gjLz1ZeXcc

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) December 27, 2023

Given that she deleted her social media accounts, how exactly is UN Women investigating?

Given that we made sure to screenshots of everything, knowing that she would try to hide the evidence, why hasn't UN Women contacted us?

cc: @Mike_Wagenheim https://t.co/tgzqX014yP

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) December 27, 2023

UN Women deputy chief Sarah Douglas scrubbed her account after we exposed her endorsement of 153 anti-Israel tweets.

Urge UN Women Goodwill Ambassadors Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway & Emma Watson to support our call for the UN to #FireSarahDouglas.

Sign: https://t.co/wqGnF3waSl https://t.co/o6via2hHmR pic.twitter.com/46xgVd1qMe

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 24, 2023

.@antonioguterres UN Women Deputy Chief Sarah Douglas publishes posts attacking 🇺🇸 America & 🇮🇱 Israel, in violation of her obligations as a UN civil servant to be neutral and impartial. She's never criticized UNHRC members like China, Cuba, Qatar or Pakistan. Will you fire her? pic.twitter.com/yhyDDsEth4

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 19, 2023

It’s been 74 days since Iran-backed Hamas terrorists took hundreds hostage, and the silence of @UN_Women on the evil and barbaric sexual abuse of women speaks volumes.

Sarah Douglas should not keep her job. These innocent women deserve better. https://t.co/97ywqXUDQ5

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 20, 2023

3/ The Wall Street Journal editorial board published a column about the Sarah Douglas scandal, calling on the U.S. to reconsider its funding of the United Nations: https://t.co/9dcbCvbE1Ohttps://t.co/eepLX9uuer

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 22, 2023

Top UN Women official sparks outage after backing ‘Gaza genocide’ remarks https://t.co/2cXdK8r8dN

— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) December 22, 2023

@TimesofIsrael just published my latest: https://t.co/EJPwMJQef7
Time for UN Women to answer a few questions and if not for its funders to hold the org accountable for failing to fulfill its mandate …. I'll wait

— Catherine Perez-Shakdam (@ShakdamC) December 27, 2023

The post U.S. Senators Urge UN Women To Fire Anti-Israel Deputy Chief After UN Admits She Violated Code of Conduct appeared first on UN Watch.

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

GENEVA, October 30 — Iran will become chair of a UN human rights forum on Thursday, sparking an international protest campaign from human rights activists who say Tehran’s record of oppression, torture and executions make it ill-suited for the post.

The regime was appointed in May by the president of the UN Human Rights Council, to be Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell defended Iran’s appointment as a matter of regional rotation, “in consistency with established UN procedures.”

But UN Watch research shows in fact that the Asian group, to which Iran belongs, has held the position four times in the past six years, to the exclusion of other regional groups.

Iran’s appointment can be overturned by a special meeting of the council before Thursday, said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organization based in Geneva, which has drafted a resolution for countries to adopt.

UN Watch has been a leading voice at the United Nations on human rights in Iran.

UN Watch’s campaign is backed by a global petition signed by more than 90,00 people, calling on the UN to overturn Iran’s chairmanship of the UN human rights forum.

The group today launched a social media campaign, and a video of Neuer’s recent appearance before the UN human rights council, where he challenged Iran’s appointment, is going viral with more than a million views since its release this afternoon.

“We are calling on Mr. Borrell to take action. It’s time for all democracies at the UN to stop legitimizing murderous regimes, in violation of the world body’s founding principles, and instead to begin holding the perpetrators to account,” said Neuer.

“The murderous regime in Tehran is responsible for a surge in executions, disproportionately applied to minorities, and for oppressing women and girls. The recent death of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, after being assaulted on the subway by the Iranian morality police for not wearing the compulsory hijab, is a reminder that this is a cruel regime that does not belong on any UN human rights body, let alone as chair.”

“It is unimaginable that on Thursday at the UN human rights council, Ayatollah Khamenei’s representative will be holding the gavel, with UN human rights chief Volcker Turk and other dignitaries at his side,” said Neuer.

“These appointments send the wrong message at the wrong time, enabling the Islamic Republic of Iran — even as it is shooting protesters in the face, raping human rights defenders in prison, and sponsoring Hamas atrocities — to strut on the international stage as a respected and influential actor.”

“No less, the regime is able to proclaim victory to its people — witness the instant declarations in state-controlled Mehr News Agency and Islamic Republic News Agency — in order to dishearten, dispirit and demoralize dissidents,” said Neuer.

“Iran’s regime never should have been chosen. Sadly, inside the UN, too many country delegations seek to go along to get along. In their closed world of backroom deals, a bloody dictatorship is every inch the equal of a liberal democracy. Democracies that pay lip service to the high principles of the UN Charter too often ignore them when making critical UN decisions.”

I asked the UN: “Why did you name the Islamic Republic of Iran as Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum, starting on Nov. 2nd? How can you elevate a regime that beats, blinds, tortures & rapes women who demand their rights? Where is the logic? Where is the morality?” pic.twitter.com/tWefa4qA50

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 30, 2023

✍️ No joke, but the UN is a increasingly a joke… https://t.co/NJdeTUBJUt

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) October 30, 2023

In two days, the Islamic Regime in Iran will become Chair of the U.N. Human Rights Council Social Forum.

Don't be silent. Tell the United Nations: Stop Legitimizing This Murderous Regime!

Join over 100,000 others who have signed our petition:
🖊️ https://t.co/dSFXra0tBO pic.twitter.com/l8gyr488wg

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) October 31, 2023

Program for tomorrow's UN Human Rights Council Forum:
1. Iran's Ali Bahreini, Chair
2. Cuba's President, Keynote Panel
3. Iran Vice-President, head of Academic Jihad
4. Cocktail by Iran
5. Iran chairs panel on equality
6. Alena Douhan, UN's Iran apologist https://t.co/WWjdW1gUkx https://t.co/PuQzZHiGbR pic.twitter.com/b0ieRW9QzD

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) November 1, 2023

Why is Iran, one of the world’s most abusive regimes, about to chair the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum?

Why is taxpayer money supporting this?

— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 31, 2023

Letter from 34 Members of the European Parliament to Mr. Václav Balek, UN Human Rights Council President:

Dear President Václav Balek,

We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, would like to express our great concern and deep regret about the decision to appoint…

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 1, 2023

.@telegraaf: “Iran has been elected by the United Nations as chairman of the Human Rights Council's social forum, which starts Thursday. UN Watch started a petition. According to them, Iran is unsuitable, and the UN is condoning its record of repression.” https://t.co/Z1GVpLWhxj https://t.co/9H0cdAmagE pic.twitter.com/NA8XCWqa1w

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) October 31, 2023

“It is quite extraordinary that at the very moment when the Human Rights Council mandates an investigation into very serious allegations of human rights violations by a country, it chooses to take decisions which appear quite contradictory by the majority of the public.”
— Sara Hossain, Chair of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran

“The United States is appalled that the Iranian Ambassador in Geneva may serve as the Chair-Rapporteur of the Social Forum… The appointment of a representative to a country with such a deplorable human rights record severely undermines the credibility and purpose of both the UN Human Rights Council and the Social Forum.  It is abhorrent that Iran…would serve at the helm of this or any human rights-related event. We call upon all UN Human Rights Council member and observer states to prioritize the credibility and integrity of the Council by making decisions that truly embody the principles and values this body stands for.”

Naming Iran as chair of the UN human rights social forum is like calling the arsonist to put out the fire. It shows just how broken the UN Human Rights Council is today. Thank you to ⁦@MariaBartiromo⁩ for bringing attention to this gross hypocrisy. https://t.co/Sexw4AY06R

— Rep. Claudia Tenney (@RepTenney) May 14, 2023

Shocking news: #Iran has been appointed Chair of the U.N. Human Rights Council Social Forum. This year's theme is the role of science and technology in promoting human rights. This appointment is an outrage and should be retracted immediately! pic.twitter.com/1Gydu5BHQ8

— David Lega (@DavidLega) May 18, 2023

CHM @RepMcCaul: “The appointment of Iran’s Ambassador as chair of the UN Human Rights Council’s 2023 Social Forum is absurd and shameful. No regime engaged in such widespread human rights abuses should be in a leadership role at the UN, much less it’s leading human rights body.”

— House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) May 17, 2023

Après la décision du président du Conseil des droits de l’homme de l’ONU de désigner l’Iran pour présider le prochain Forum Social 2023, @Valerie_Rabault (SOC) demande au Gvt de "faire entendre la voix de la France pour annuler cette nomination".#DirectAN #QAG pic.twitter.com/o42DpP6a7D

— Assemblée nationale (@AssembleeNat) May 30, 2023

@JosepBorrellF You said Iran’s appointment was due to regional rotation “consistent with established UN procedures.” https://t.co/NmHrstzV4f

Yet the group to which Iran belongs held the position 4 times in last 6 years—to the exclusion of other regions. https://t.co/mzVgQK56aD pic.twitter.com/sr8vC2eYMX

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) November 1, 2023

The post Iran to Chair UN Human Rights Forum on Thursday, Sparking Protests appeared first on UN Watch.

Joint Appeal to United Nations Secretary General Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk:
Create Independent Investigation Into the Targeting of UN Watch

Dear Secretary General Antonio Guterres,
Dear High Commissioner Volker Türk,

We, the undersigned human rights activists, former cabinet ministers, civil society representatives, families of political prisoners, and other concerned citizens are alarmed by the allegations of harassment and gross misconduct by the Chief of the UN Human Rights Council branch committed against the non-governmental human rights organization UN Watch, as detailed in the Complaint dated 6 October 2022.

Excellency, we urge you to create an independent investigation as an essential step for accountability and justice.

The late United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said: “I deeply appreciate the valuable work performed by UN Watch. Informed and independent evaluation of the United Nations’ activities will prove a vital source as we seek to adapt the Organization to the needs of a changing world.”

Likewise, we express our strong support for the vital work of UN Watch to monitor the world body and uphold the Charter of the United Nations, and to promote and protect human rights for all.

We commend UN Watch for being one of the leading non-governmental organizations in bringing human rights defenders, dissidents, victims, and family members of political prisoners to testify before the United Nations.

Accordingly, we are gravely concerned by any restrictions on the ability of UN Watch to exercise its legitimate rights to take the floor at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), as detailed in the aforementioned Complaint, which would harm not only that organization, but also the human rights of victims of urgent country situations worldwide who are regularly given a voice and platform by UN Watch.

Excellencies, we urge you to ensure that members of the UNHRC Secretariat respect the right of non-governmental organizations to participate at the United Nations, grounded in Article 71 of the UN Charter, and, in particular, that they respect the right of NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status, such as UN Watch, to participate equally in Council sessions, including through making oral presentations and written statements, as recognized under UNGA Resolution 60/251, the Council’s founding document, HRC Resolution 5/1, and ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31.

In addition, we urge you to ensure that members of the UNHRC Secretariat respect the right of UN Watch to freedom of expression, as guaranteed under Art. 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Art. 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. For the United Nations to be a place for dialogue, all voices must be heard.

Excellencies, without urgent action, the essential work of UN Watch to safeguard the principles of the United Nations Charter, and to protect human rights for all, will be at grave risk.

Accordingly, we urge you to act swiftly to create an independent investigation, to ensure accountability, and to restore the legitimate rights of UN Watch to participate fully and on an equal basis at the United Nations.

Signatories:

Human Rights Activists

Abidine Ould-Merzough
Anti-slavery activist, European Coordinator of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement in Mauritania

Abraham Jiménez Enoa
Prominent Cuban journalist forced into exile, grandson of the bodyguard to Fidel Castro and Che Guevara

Anastasia Shevchenko
Russian Antiwar Committee

Andrey Kurkov
Ukraine’s most famous novelist, author of “Diary of an Invasion” on Russia’s war

Antonio Ledezma
Venezuelan opposition leader, political prisoner who escaped in November 2017

Berta Valle
Nicaraguan journalist, wife of opposition leader and former political prisoner Félix Maradiaga

Biram Dah Abeid
Leader of the fight against slavery in Mauritania

Can Dündar
Leading Turkish journalist arrested and forced into exile for his brave reporting

Dang Xuong Hung
Vietnamese Defector

Dennis Chau
Rights activist and son of Vietnamese political prisoner

Diego Arria
Former Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN and President of the Security Council

Dolkun Isa
President of the World Uyghur Congress, former pro-democracy student leader targeted in China

Duy Hoang
Spokesperson for Viet Tan

Enes Kanter Freedom
NBA basketball player and human rights activist

Ensaf Haidar
Human rights activist and wife of Saudi political prisoner Raif Badawi

Evan Mawarire
Zimbabwean protest leader, arrested six times and tortured for his civil rights work

Evgenia Kara-Murza
Activist, wife of jailed Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza

Fadzayi Mahere
Constitutional lawyer, opposition spokesperson arrested repeatedly in Zimbabwe

Felix Maradiaga
Nicaraguan opposition leader and former political prisoner, targeted by the government on false criminal charges

Frances Hui
Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation

Frank Calzon
Former Executive Director, Center for a Free Cuba; former Washington representative, Freedom House

Grace Kwinjeh
Zimbabwean dissident

Dr. Gyal Lo
Tibetan activist, educational sociologist, and a leading expert on China’s assimilation and education policies in Tibet

Guillermo Marmol
Businessman and Chairman, Center for a Free Cuba

Hasler Iglesias
Venezuelan youth leader who went into hiding to escape arrest by the Maduro regime

Jewher Ilham
Uyghur rights advocate and author, daughter of Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti who is now serving a life sentence in China

Jianli Yang
Chinese dissident, former political prisoner, Tiananmen Square massacre survivor and President of Initiatives for China

John Suarez
Executive Director, Center for a Free Cuba

Julieta Abrar
Human rights activist and aunt of former imprisoned Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera
Ugandan LGBT activist, founder and director of Freedom and Roam Uganda

Kaveh Shahrooz
Human rights lawyer and policy expert

Lyubov Sobol
Russian opposition leader and prominent social media influencer

Maria Alejandra Aristeguieta
Founder of Vision 360, former Ambassador of Venezuela and Coordinator of Iniciativa Por Venezuela

Mariam Claren
Daughter of jailed womens’ rights activist and political prisoner Nahid Taghavi

Marie-Claire Kakpotia
Survivor and activist fighting to end Female Genital Mutilation

Marina Nemat
Iranian author imprisoned for criticizing the Iranian regime at the age of 16

Maryam Nayeb Yazdi
Human rights activist, co-founder of Oslo Women’s Rights Initiative

Massouda Jalal
Former Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan

Michel Tran Duc
French-Vietnamese human rights activist

Mohamed Al-Jahmi
Brother of murderer Libyan dissident, Fathi Al-Jahmi

Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay
Iranian-born Canadian human rights advocate and co-founder of Stop Child Executions

Nurcan Baysal
Award-winning Kurdish journalist and activist, detained by Turkey

Olga Aivazovska
Forcibly displaced civil society leader & advocate for war crimes tribunal against Putin

Orhan Kemal Cengiz
Human rights lawyer and activist from Turkey

Ambassador Otto J. Reich
Former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs, former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, and President of the Center for a Free Cuba

Shengchun Sophie Luo
Activist, wife of Chinese political prisoner Ding Jiaxi

Sirley Avila Leon
Cuban dissident and victim of a machete attack by the regime

Soomaya Javadi
Young Hazara activist who fled Afghanistan following the overthrow of Kabul

Taha Siddiqui
Pakistani journalist and social media activist who narrowly escaped abduction

Tatsiana Khomich
Belarusian Coordination Council Representative for Political Prisoners and sister of imprisoned opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava

Tenzin Tsundue
Tibetan refugee and writer arrested 16 times for his activism

Timothy Cho
North Korean human rights activist and defector, imprisoned in North Korea and China

Vicente De Lima II
Brother of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, jailed for criticizing Duterte’s Drug War

Yavuz Aydin
Turkish judge purged by President Erdogan

Zarifa Ghafari
Youngest elected mayor in Afghanistan, survivor of three assassination attempts, forced into exile

Non-Governmental Organizations Accredited to the United Nations

Association Aide aux Femmes et Enfants
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Press Emblem Campaign

Switzerland

Centre Intercommunautaire Congolais pour les Personnes avec Handicap
Democratic Republic of Congo

International Institute for Child Protection
Gambia

Human Rights Foundation
USA

Initiative for Youth Awareness on Climate Change
Nigeria

Women’s Voices Now
USA

Green Youth Council
India

Sister to Sister One in the Spirit
USA

Pleaders of Children and Elderly People at Risk
Democratic Republic of Congo

Association For Promotion of Sustainable Development
India

Pakistan Council for Social Welfare and Human Rights
Pakistan

Community Agenda for Peace
Nigeria

Association Solidarité Internationale pour l’Afrique
Mali

Initiative pour le développement de l’Afrique
Italy

Afri-Health Optonet Association
Nigeria

International Movement for Advancement of Education Culture Social & Economic Development
India

African Initiative for Mankind Progress Organization
Rwanda

Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience
France

Forum Méditerranéen pour la promotion des droit du citoyen
Morocco

Fundación Democrática Ítalo Americana
Portugal

Tort for Torture Victims
Cameroon

Future Hope International
Ghana

Youth Awareness And Guidance Organisation
Nigeria

Alliance for Development and Population Services
Kenya

Solidarité Agissante pour le Développement Familial
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Un Monde Avenir
Cameroon

Cause Première
Senegal

Human Development Society
Gambia

Entrepreneurship Development and Support Initiative
Nigeria

Apostolic Ministerial International Network
Ghana

Ariel Foundation International
Switzerland

Association des Ressortissants et Amis d’Eseka
Cameroon

Ben Newman Hope Care Foundation
Ghana

Coup de Pouce
Democratic Republic of Congo

Dignité Impact
Switzerland

EKTA Welfare Society
India

Jewish Renaissance Foundation
USA

Technical Centre for Fine Art and Computer Studies CIG
Cameroon

First Modern Agro. Tools – Common Initiative Group
Cameroon

Fondation Kalipa pour le Développement
Democratic Republic of Congo

The Council of Technical Education & Training
India

Global Economist Forum
Bangladesh

Internationale Gemeinschaft für die Unterstützung von Kriegsopfern
Germany

Diligent Care for Creative Intelligence Development
Nigeria

Isiziba Community Based Organizations of South Africa
South Africa

Major Alliance Education Centre
Tanzania

MIROSLAVA International Alliance
Ukraine

Canterbury & New Zealand Business Association
New Zealand

Mouvement des Jeunes pour le Réveil et le Développement
Benin

Ngoma Club
Democratic Republic of Congo

Nouveaux Droits de l’homme Cameroun
Cameroon

Partage et Action en Synergie pour le Développement
Togo

Prahar
India

Northern Citizen Community Board
Pakistan

NGO Monitor
Israel

Structural Analysis of Cultural Systems
Germany

REAL Women of Canada
Canada

Sun Charity USA
USA

Vision GRAM-International
Canada

Yayasan Pendidikan Indonesia Wira Tata Buena
Indonesia

Press Release

Take Action

100 Human Rights Activists Urge UN Probe of Top Official For Harassing Watchdog

GENEVA, July 11, 2023 — A cross-regional coalition of 100 human rights activists and UN-accredited civil society organizations today called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volcker Türk to investigate Eric Tistounet, the powerful head of the UN Human Rights Council staff for the past two decades, for his campaign of “harassment and gross misconduct” targeting a human rights group that has been recognized for giving a global platform to dissidents of authoritarian regimes.

In the current 4-week session of the Human Rights Council that concludes on July 14, Mr. Tistounet blocked UN Watch from testifying in debates concerning abuses in Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Venezuela and Russia, said Hillel Neuer, an international human rights lawyer who directs the Geneva-based non-governmental organization.

Whistleblower Confirms: Head of UNHRC Staff Personally Intervenes to Block UN Watch From Speaking

“The numbers are astonishing: while groups friendly to Mr. Tistounet were allowed to speak in more than 20 debates in the current session, we have been prohibited from speaking more than once. And we know exactly what’s going on because Mr. Tistounet’s former employee revealed that he is close with China and other dictatorships that seek to silence UN Watch, and that he actually orders his UNHRC staff to tamper with speakers’ lists to prevent us from speaking.”

“What is shocking is that nine months ago, a senior aide to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres promised that they would review our Legal Complaint, which details how Mr. Tistounet wilfully and systematically rigs the system to block us from speaking. In the June 2021 session, we registered for 31 debates and were denied 30 out of 31 slots, and in June 2022 he barred us from all 36 debates. Only 10 NGOs get to speak in each debate, so he maliciously moves UN Watch down the list so that we are silenced. Coming from a UN human rights officer, this kind of unethical conduct is disgraceful,” said Neuer.

Leaked Emails: Eric Tistounet Orders Staff to Anonymously Smear Hillel Neuer Online

“According to leaked emails, Mr. Tistounet also engages in wilful and illegal harassment by instructing his Human Rights Council staff to go to internet cafés to anonymously spread false information about me online, and he told his employees to think of ways to have me physically detained by UN security, in order to block me from entering the Council chamber in Geneva.” (See pp. 18-24 of the Complaint.)

100 Activists Say Blocking UN Watch Silences Victims Worldwide

The signatories of today’s joint appeal — including some of the most prominent human rights dissidents and former political prisoners from China, Russia, Cuba, Turkey, North Korea, Libya, Belarus, Venezuela and Zimbabwe — said they were “gravely concerned by any restrictions on the ability of UN Watch to exercise its legitimate rights to take the floor at the UN Human Rights Council.”

The dissidents said this would harm “the human rights of victims of urgent country situations worldwide who are regularly given a voice and platform by UN Watch.”

“We express our strong support for the vital work of UN Watch to monitor the world body and uphold the Charter of the United Nations, and to promote and protect human rights for all,” said the activists, many of whom have been hosted by UN Watch to speak at the United Nations, either in the Human Rights Council or at UN sessions held as part of UN Watch’s annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights.

“We commend UN Watch for being one of the leading non-governmental organizations in bringing human rights defenders, dissidents, victims, and family members of political prisoners to testify before the United Nations,” said the human rights activists.

The joint appeal called on the UN officials to “create an independent investigation as an essential step for accountability and justice.”

Background: Tistounet Handed Names of Dissidents to China

More than any other group at the Human Rights Council, UN Watch routinely brings high profile dissidents to address the council, from China, Cuba, Libya, Russia and elsewhere. Many of the regimes have in turn pressured Tistounet’s office, as China recently did when UN Watch hosted Hong Kong activist Tania Chan.

In March, Venezuela’s Maduro regime filed a complaint to the UN calling to shut down UN Watch, after the group gave the floor at the Human Rights Council to opposition figures Leopoldo Lopez, María Corina Machado and Diego Arria.

As reported by the BBC and Le Monde, Mr. Tistounet is accused of putting in place a UN policy of handing over to China in advance the names of dissidents registered to speak at the UNHRC, putting their lives and their family members at risk, as Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa has testified.

Tistounet handed UN Watch speeches in advance to his friend Jean Ziegler,
the UNHRC expert who created the “Qaddafi Human Rights Prize”

In a June 2006 report, UN Watch exposed the role of UNHRC expert Jean Ziegler in co-creating and managing the Muammar Qaddafi Human Rights Prize, an award that was given to dictator Hugo Chavez, antisemite Louis Farrkhan and convicted French Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy, in the same year that Ziegler himself won the prize.

Tistounet participated in a panel honoring the controversial Qaddafi supporter, who in turn wrote the preface to one of Tistounet’s novels.

According to Emma Reilly, “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.”

“He would also request advance copies of UN Watch speeches, which we were instructed to provide. No other NGO was targeted in this manner, and no other mandate holder was accorded this favor.”

Tistounet intercepted UN Watch speeches, drafted reprimands for chair to read,
tampered with the time clock to run out UN Watch’s speaking time

Tistounet personally obtained all UN Watch speeches in advance, so he could draft unjustified reprimands for the chair to read out afterwards.

“Mr. Tistounet had a standing instruction that when a statement was received in advance from UN Watch, it was to be given directly to him either in his office or on the podium, and placed on the desk of his office if he could not be immediately located. This instruction did not exist for any other NGO,” testified whistleblower Emma Reilly.

“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.”

“He was fully aware that his advice to successive Presidents to reprimand UN
Watch for disobeying rules was false, and that no rule was in fact being broken.”

In addition, when he could get away with it, Tistounet manipulated the clock to remove time from UN Watch.

“When points of order are made during speeches, the NGO liaison and Secretary are responsible for pressing a button on the podium to pause the NGO speaking time. 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.”

“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.”

To sign the petition, click here

The post Joint Appeal by Human Rights Activists to Investigate Abuse by UN Official Eric Tistounet appeared first on UN Watch.

In the current 4-week session of the Human Rights Council that concludes on July 14, Mr. Tistounet blocked UN Watch from testifying in debates concerning abuses in Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Venezuela and Russia, said Hillel Neuer, an international human rights lawyer who directs the Geneva-based non-governmental organization.

Whistleblower Confirms: Head of UNHRC Staff Personally Intervenes to Block UN Watch From Speaking

“The numbers are astonishing: while groups friendly to Mr. Tistounet were allowed to speak in more than 20 debates in the current session, we have been prohibited from speaking more than once. And we know exactly what’s going on because Mr. Tistounet’s former employee revealed that he is close with China and other dictatorships that seek to silence UN Watch, and that he actually orders his UNHRC staff to tamper with speakers’ lists to prevent us from speaking.”

“What is shocking is that nine months ago, a senior aide to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres promised that they would review our Legal Complaint, which details how Mr. Tistounet wilfully and systematically rigs the system to block us from speaking. In the June 2021 session, we registered for 31 debates and were denied 30 out of 31 slots, and in June 2022 he barred us from all 36 debates. Only 10 NGOs get to speak in each debate, so he maliciously moves UN Watch down the list so that we are silenced. Coming from a UN human rights officer, this kind of unethical conduct is disgraceful,” said Neuer.

Leaked Emails: Eric Tistounet Orders Staff to Anonymously Smear Hillel Neuer Online

“According to leaked emails, Mr. Tistounet also engages in wilful and illegal harassment by instructing his Human Rights Council staff to go to internet cafés to anonymously spread false information about me online, and he told his employees to think of ways to have me physically detained by UN security, in order to block me from entering the Council chamber in Geneva.” (See pp. 18-24 of the Complaint.)

100 Activists Say Blocking UN Watch Silences Victims Worldwide

The signatories of today’s joint appeal — including some of the most prominent human rights dissidents and former political prisoners from China, Russia, Cuba, Turkey, North Korea, Libya, Belarus, Venezuela and Zimbabwe — said they were “gravely concerned by any restrictions on the ability of UN Watch to exercise its legitimate rights to take the floor at the UN Human Rights Council.”

The dissidents said this would harm “the human rights of victims of urgent country situations worldwide who are regularly given a voice and platform by UN Watch.”

“We express our strong support for the vital work of UN Watch to monitor the world body and uphold the Charter of the United Nations, and to promote and protect human rights for all,” said the activists, many of whom have been hosted by UN Watch to speak at the United Nations, either in the Human Rights Council or at UN sessions held as part of UN Watch’s annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights.

“We commend UN Watch for being one of the leading non-governmental organizations in bringing human rights defenders, dissidents, victims, and family members of political prisoners to testify before the United Nations,” said the human rights activists.

The joint appeal called on the UN officials to “create an independent investigation as an essential step for accountability and justice.”

Background: Tistounet Handed Names of Dissidents to China

More than any other group at the Human Rights Council, UN Watch routinely brings high profile dissidents to address the council, from China, Cuba, Libya, Russia and elsewhere. Many of the regimes have in turn pressured Tistounet’s office, as China recently did when UN Watch hosted Hong Kong activist Tania Chan.

In March, Venezuela’s Maduro regime filed a complaint to the UN calling to shut down UN Watch, after the group gave the floor at the Human Rights Council to opposition figures Leopoldo Lopez, María Corina Machado and Diego Arria.

As reported by the BBC and Le Monde, Mr. Tistounet is accused of putting in place a UN policy of handing over to China in advance the names of dissidents registered to speak at the UNHRC, putting their lives and their family members at risk, as Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa has testified.

Tistounet handed UN Watch speeches in advance to his friend Jean Ziegler,
the UNHRC expert who created the “Qaddafi Human Rights Prize”

In a June 2006 report, UN Watch exposed the role of UNHRC expert Jean Ziegler in co-creating and managing the Muammar Qaddafi Human Rights Prize, an award that was given to dictator Hugo Chavez, antisemite Louis Farrkhan and convicted French Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy, in the same year that Ziegler himself won the prize.

Tistounet participated in a panel honoring the controversial Qaddafi supporter, who in turn wrote the preface to one of Tistounet’s novels.

According to Emma Reilly, “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.”

“He would also request advance copies of UN Watch speeches, which we were instructed to provide. No other NGO was targeted in this manner, and no other mandate holder was accorded this favor.”

Tistounet intercepted UN Watch speeches, drafted reprimands for chair to read,
tampered with the time clock to run out UN Watch’s speaking time

Tistounet personally obtained all UN Watch speeches in advance, so he could draft unjustified reprimands for the chair to read out afterwards.

“Mr. Tistounet had a standing instruction that when a statement was received in advance from UN Watch, it was to be given directly to him either in his office or on the podium, and placed on the desk of his office if he could not be immediately located. This instruction did not exist for any other NGO,” testified whistleblower Emma Reilly.

“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.”

“He was fully aware that his advice to successive Presidents to reprimand UN
Watch for disobeying rules was false, and that no rule was in fact being broken.”

In addition, when he could get away with it, Tistounet manipulated the clock to remove time from UN Watch.

“When points of order are made during speeches, the NGO liaison and Secretary are responsible for pressing a button on the podium to pause the NGO speaking time. 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.”

“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.”

The post 100 Human Rights Activists Urge UN Probe of Top Official For Harassing Watchdog appeared first on UN Watch.

“The criminals who trample their own people, violate UN Security Council resolutions, arm Russia with 400 UAVs to bomb Ukrainian civilians, fail to cooperate with IAEA and foment terrorism at home and abroad are unfit to serve on a committee dealing with disarmament and international security,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights group based in Geneva.

“This is a regime that perpetuates the very problems the committee aims to address. Iran plays a destabilizing role across the Middle East, arming mass murderers and terrorists such as Assad in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba in Iraq, and Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza,” said Neuer.

“The Tehran regime are made up of criminals who poison schoolgirls, blind protesters, fire on mourners, rape political prisoners, sponsor terrorism and operate a global campaign to assassinate dissidents, authors, and U.S. government officials who dare to oppose them. How can the UN elect terrorists to a committee on international security?”

“Iran is now escalating an illicit nuclear weapons program, rapidly expanding uranium enrichment, operating advanced centrifuges and accumulating stocks of highly enriched uranium, all in defiance of the IAEA. Making Iran’s regime Rapporteur of this UN committee seriously undermines the credibility of its work.”

“While we can’t prevent every UN outrage,” said Neuer, “we are working now to stop Iran’s regime from becoming Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum. We urge all nations to support our draft resolution to overturn this appointment.”

A petition by UN Watch has drawn more than 80,000 signatures, and is aiming to reach 100,000.

Iran regime elected to UN Committee on Disarmament & International Security. The criminals who trample their own people, violate UN Security Council resolutions, arm Russia with 400 UAVs to bomb Ukraine civilians, fail to cooperate with IAEA & foment terrorism at home and abroad. pic.twitter.com/5YzavvtfCh

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) June 4, 2023

3/ Meet Iran's Heidar Ali Balouji. In September, he'll be the new Rapporteur of the UN Committee on Disarmament and International Security, presenting to the UNGA resolutions on disarmament, global challenges, and threats to peace that affect the international community. pic.twitter.com/zHxxmB2AWS

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) June 4, 2023

The post Iran Elected to UN Committee on Disarmament and International Security appeared first on UN Watch.