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Nawars Alsaghbini, Syrian Druze activist, testifies at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 60th session about the harrowing reality for Druze and other minority communities in al-Julani’s ‘new’ Syria.

Full Transcript: 

UNHRC President: 

Ladies and gentlemen, we can now begin our General Debate on agenda item 4.

Nawars Alsaghbini, in a joint statement on behalf of Ingenieurs du Monde and United Nations Watch: 

Sweida today is under a choking siege, deprived of basic necessities, used as political leverage. Casualties exceed 2,000, with over 700 civilians kidnapped. Women raped, Druze students attacked for their identity, forced to quit studies. Syrian universities now completely emptied of Druze students.

These aren’t isolated incidents, but systematic oppression to break our will.

Despite all, we won’t be silenced.

We’ll speak truth and demand justice daily.

The Julani authority doesn’t represent me or Sweida’s people. This regime, built on murder and terror, represents no free person.

We demand accountability for this authority and its criminal accomplices. From Sweida, We declare to the world: We seek a just, dignified life. We won’t compromise on our right to live well. We’re not warmongers, but advocates for peace and dignity.

Thank you.

The post Syrian Druze Activist sounds alarm at the UN about atrocities committed in Sweida at the hands of the Al-Julani regime 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.

.@pressemblem We urge you to take immediate action against the war crimes of Syrian state-backed jihadis using “PRESS” vests to feign protected status while carrying out atrocities against Druze civilians. This constitutes perfidy as prohibited under the Geneva Conventions. https://t.co/JHzJLT5Wb8

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) July 20, 2025

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — A leading international association of journalists, the Press Emblem Campaign, has condemned the use of press vests by regime-backed jihadists committing war crimes against the Druze minority in southern Syria.

Referring to a widely circulated video of Islamist fighters vandalizing Druze property and desecrating religious images in the Suwayda area, the Press Emblem Campaign stated that it “condemns the use of the ‘Press’ symbol by Islamist fighters in the fighting in southern Syria.” 

Based in Geneva, the Press Emblem Campaign is an international group of journalists that aims at strengthening the legal protection and safety of journalists in zones of conflict. Accredited as a non-governmental organization by the United Nations, the Press Emblem Campaign is supported by 50 NGOs and journalists’ associations from around the world.

The video of the Jihadi gunman was just one of numerous accounts of Syrian state-backed violence against the Druze minority in the south of the country over the last week, with hundreds of civilians killed amidst reports of gross human rights violations.

“We welcome the strong condemnation by the Press Emblem Campaign,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of Swiss human rights group UN Watch, which led the appeal for the journalists to speak out.

“The abuse of press insignia by Islamist gunmen — in order to feign protected status while committing atrocities against Druze civilians — constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.”

“This criminal abuse of protective emblems erodes trust in the press, endangers real reporters, and violates international law.”

“We urge UN Secretary-General Guterres and the Human Rights Council to condemn the Syrian Jihadi massacre of the Druze, and to denounce these acts of perfidy that endanger journalists. Their silence as Druze are slaughtered is complicity.”

The post International Journalists Association Condemns Syrian Jihadists’ Use of Press Vests to Attack Druze Minority appeared first on UN Watch.

Hillel Neuer appeared on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the latest ceasefire agreement and the decline of Iran and their proxies since the start of Hamas’s war on Israel.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Now joining us is UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer. Hillel, thanks very much for being here. What is your reaction to this new development regarding the ceasefire? We’re waiting on more details.

Hillel Neuer: Look, it’s the Middle East. Hamas wants to show its base that they’re fighting until the very last moment. I think we can expect, given the deadline that President Trump has put, I think we can expect that Hamas, in the end, will go ahead with the deal. This is sort of last minute bargaining.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: I’m glad you mentioned President Trump, because the President-elect posted this on Truth Social: ” This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November. My national security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our allies to make sure Gaza never becomes a terrorist safe haven.”

The Times of Israel is reporting that Arab officials say Witkoff swayed Netanyahu more in one meeting than Biden did all year, but incoming White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt writes this on X: “Let’s be clear, this deal would not have been struck without the forceful hand of President Trump and his Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff. Once again, peace through strength prevails.”

Even Biden’s State Department praised the Trump team for the efforts, although Joe Biden himself, he was reluctant to do so.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller (recorded video): This ceasefire agreement was a long time in the making and comes as a result of extensive diplomatic engagements by President Biden, Secretary Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Director of Central Intelligence, William Burns, Brett McGurk, and other officials across the government, as well as our partners in the governments of Qatar and Egypt. when it comes to the involvement of the President-elect, Trump’s team has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Hillel, how much did Trump and his team sway the negotiations? I know Joe Biden has been asking for a ceasefire for a year, but what do you think? How did this happen?

Hillel Neuer: Now look, I think both administrations, the outgoing and the incoming, get credit. The details were indeed developed over many months, the pressure, the urgency is the incoming administration. So I think Biden team can get credit for working on the details, but the urgency that President Trump put in his announcement that that “all hell would break out” if the deal was not done by next week, and him sending his special envoy to the region, putting pressure on everyone, I think that urgency is what clinched the deal.

And I think this deal needs to be welcomed with a mix of relief, heartache and outrage. Relief that finally, after 466 days, some hostages will begin to be released in the next few weeks. We’re expecting 33 hostages so far, that’s the relief. The heartache is knowing that dozens have been killed and died in the past one-plus years in the torture chambers of Hamas in Gaza, the idea that many of the hostages will not be released in the initial phase, and the opening up of the wound of what they suffered, the torture, and the horrific abuse.

Finally, the outrage. What Hamas did on October 7th, the massacre of entire families, horrific, unspeakable atrocities, and the support that Hamas won in campuses and other quarters of the elites across America and around the world.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: President Biden says, you know, thanks to him, terrorism and threats in Gaza have been significantly diminished.

U.S. President Joseph Biden (recorded video): Now, the terror network that once protected and sustained Hamas is far weaker. Iran is weaker. Iran is weaker than it has been in decades. Hezbollah is badly degraded, and after more than 15 months of war, Hamas’s senior leaders are dead. Thousands of Hamas fighters are dead, and the military formations have been destroyed.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: So many questions about that, Hillel. First of all, I don’t think Iran is weakened. I mean, they’ve had an opportunity to generate billions and billions of oil revenue selling it to China. This administration, the Biden administration, blew off the sanctions, and I want to get your take on this deal as well, because who’s in charge of Gaza now, what’s next for the region, and why is it that so many of the hostages will remain in Gaza? Only 33 hostages will be released in the first phase, dozens alive and dead. It just seems that the initial phases of this deal is, you know, one Israeli for 50 Palestinians in one frame, and one Israeli for 30 Palestinians. What do you make of this deal?

Hillel Neuer: Look, you know, Hamas leaders have been declaring victory in the past day. Their deputy chief Khalil al-Hayya said this was a victory that would be a source of pride for generations, and he said it was a turning point in history for the Palestinians. And this is absurd.

Indeed, it is true—whether Biden can claim credit for it or not, because at various key points he told Israel to hold back, whether it was the war in Lebanon, whether it was entering Rafah, of course, he did supply arms to Israel for the most part—but there’s no question Hezbollah has been crushed.

That forced Lebanon to demand a ceasefire and has a new leadership. Syria, the Assad regime as a result of Iran and Hezbollah being weakened, the Assad regime fell and is no more. Iran is weakened. You know, their air defenses—you’re right about what you said about oil, that is an outrage—but their air defenses were, you know, significantly destroyed, and they are vulnerable.

So, there is no victory [for Hamas], and we should note that never before in history has a side claimed to suffer genocide at the same time that they declare victory in the war and massacre that they started.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Iran may be weakened as a result of Israel’s aggressiveness despite Biden’s guidance. Biden kept telling them, end this, ceasefire now, don’t go into Rafah. Israel blew that off and did it. And yes, there were, there was a weakening of Iranian leadership and proxies as a result of that. Hillel, we’re watching this closely, and we want to see whether or not this actually sticks. Thank you, sir.

The post Hillel Neuer on Fox Business: “Never before has a side claimed to suffer genocide and also win the war they started” appeared first on UN Watch.

Hillel Neuer appeared on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the fall of the oppressive Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, to discuss a new UN Watch report exposing Volker Türk’s blind eye to dictatorships, and to discuss UN Watch’s work in revealing UNRWA’s ties to terrorism.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Israel strikes multiple targets inside Syria, including airfields, military vehicles and weapons production sites, to keep them from falling into the hands of the rebels. Both the Biden administration and the UN considering removing HTS, now the largest rebel force currently in charge of Syria, from their designated terrorist lists.

The administration initially deemed them a terrorist group nine years ago after being linked to al-Qaeda, but then they were put in charge of Syria just last week. Joining me now is UN Watch Executive Director, Hillel Neuer. Hillel, nice to have you back. Welcome. Your reaction to all that has taken place in Syria?

Hillel Neuer: Well, there was an extraordinary window of opportunity. Israel destroyed some 350 targets, including fighter jets, drones, tanks, missiles, and even a research center that was linked to a chemical weapons program. There’s a lot of people in the Middle East who are very thankful that the tools of death of the Assad regime, which are about to be handed over to a whole array of jihadists, have been eliminated.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: How would you assess this last month in terms of what’s going on? Israel has pushed back very aggressively and successfully in terms of, you know, tamping down Hezbollah and Hamas. Assess the situation for us today.

Hillel Neuer: Look, for a year, the Biden administration kept trying to restrain Israel. They said, don’t escalate, don’t go into Rafah, don’t go into Lebanon, don’t do this. And had Israel followed that advice, Assad would still be holding his torture chambers, which we’re discovering are horrifying and unspeakable. Hamas would still be in full control of Gaza. Hezbollah, which helped Assad commit the genocide, would be in control, and the Iranian regime would be extending its noose all around the Middle East.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Unbelievable. What did you call it, the fall of the Berlin Wall?

Hillel Neuer: This is a Berlin Wall type moment. You know, the mullahs in Tehran are watching thousands of Syrian soldiers remove their uniforms and escape, and they’ve got to be going to sleep at night wondering if their troops are next and if the bell is coming to toll for them.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Well, this is quite extraordinary. As President Trump is walking into his second term, you’re seeing a much weaker Iran, aren’t you?

Hillel Neuer: Absolutely and they were dominating the region before. They controlled terror proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. And now, Hamas is decimated, Hezbollah is decimated, Assad’s regime is gone, the noose of fire that they threatened to strangle and destroy Israel with is gone, and the question is whether Tehran is next. We have to be ready to support the men and women of Iran who deserve freedom, as do many other people in the Middle East.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: And that’s why I’ve been having the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, on a lot. Your thoughts, Mehek, jump in here.

Mehek Cooke, Fox: Well, and I have to ask, we have to look at Iran, right? Because they were the ones that were truly fighting this proxy war against Israel. They had so many conduits in ways that they were attacking without directly being involved. I think all fingers actually point to Iran. And we have a lot of terror network cells there, so we really have to go back to what was the core of this issue?

I think it starts and ends with Iran, and if we take our foot off the gas, in my opinion, this is going to come back in full force at some point after President Trump’s administration. So what’s your recommendation there, in terms of honing into Iran’s regime and making sure this never happens again? We have an opportunity to make sure we get rid of all of these cells.

Hillel Neuer: Absolutely, Tehran is the head of the octopus. The terror proxies were the tentacles. And now the main question is, what is the new administration going to do? Sadly, Obama and Biden had freed up billions of dollars by taking off sanctions, allowing Iran to sell oil to China and others. So, the new administration has got to come in and land on Tehran like a ton of bricks in terms of sanctions. They have to reimpose crushing sanctions.

And we have a moment. There are tens of millions of people in Iran who are looking to us in the West, to America, to help them. And this is the moment. This is the Berlin Wall moment. Dominos are falling, but it’s up to us in the West to see if we’re going to support the cause of freedom and democracy against jihadi terrorists who are sworn to our destruction.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: There’s a new UN Watch report which finds the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, turned a blind eye to the world’s worst regimes. He condemned the U.S. more than he condemned China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined. He also condemned Israel 58 times in the past two years alone. UN Watch is now calling for Türk to resign. Hillel, what’s wrong with the UN?

Hillel Neuer: Sadly, too many at the UN go along to get along. Someone like Türk, he’s been at the UN for decades. He’s part of the system. The only way you move up is you turn a blind eye. He hasn’t said anything about Cuba despite it being a police state that has hundreds and hundreds of political prisoners, including teenagers whose crime was standing up for freedom.

Just a handful of statements on China over two years. I think one statement on the Assad regime over two years. So this is someone who was failing his mandate to protect human rights. He has no place being a human rights official. He should resign.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: UN Watch released another report revealing that high level staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) have actually been working with terrorists and meeting with them regularly. UN Watch also included interviews taken with UNRWA students who admitted to being taught that they should fight back and resist so that Palestine can be liberated. And, UN Watch revealed that Hamas members served as staff in several UNRWA schools. Again, how is it possible that the UN has all these weak spots that terrorists come in and work on these agencies?

Hillel Neuer: UNRWA is a pathological agency that claims to be humanitarian, but in fact, it is their goal to perpetuate Palestinians for decades as so-called refugees. It’s absurd. We shouldn’t be surprised that terrorists make it to top posts.

The head of the UNRWA teachers’ union in Lebanon, Fathi al-Sharif, was the head of Hamas in Lebanon. Luckily, justice was delivered to him two months ago after a missile took him out in an Israeli missile. Hamas then admitted that he was their leader in Lebanon. This was an UNRWA school principal, and we’re paying for it. The Biden administration gave a billion dollars of US taxpayer money to this agency.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Is there any other advice you want to pass on to the incoming Trump administration about our adversaries? You touched on Iran, and you’re right, the sanctions need to be acknowledged. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris actually did not enforce the sanctions, enabling them to generate billions of dollars in revenue to actually help these terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah. But what about China?

Hillel Neuer: Look, China is oppressing 1/5 of humanity, 1.5 billion people. Just a few months ago, we hosted Rei Xia, a young woman who was thrown in prison for the crime of lifting up a blank piece of paper in Shanghai. So we need to stand with people like this.

Sadly, too often, China is sitting at the UN Human Rights Council where I am in Geneva. I’m sitting there and on the dais is the Beijing regime. We need to push back in ways that haven’t been done in years.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Especially since they’re actually actively undermining us every day.

Hillel Neuer: Absolutely.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: And we’ll see if those drones are actually Chinese. Good to see you. Thanks very much, Hillel. Thanks so much for being here.

The post Hillel Neuer on Fox Business: “This is a Berlin Wall moment” appeared first on UN Watch.

The event is part of a larger initiative at the council, transparently selective and politicized, which includes a full-time Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, a thinly-veiled mechanism to attack the West and portray gross abusers as victims.

Those pretending to oppose coercive economic measures are silent about the Arab countries who still boycott Israel and those who do business with Israel.

The panel on September 14th was mandated by the Non-Aligned Movement, the main sponsor of UNHRC resolution 52/13, titled The negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. NAM’s members include the very dictatorships — Cuba, Iran, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela — that will be described as victims of human-rights abusing Western sanctions.

Opening statements are to be delivered by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan, who has a record of acting as a propagandist for brutal dictatorships.

Prior to being selected for her post, she appeared on the 2017 biennial panel on unilateral coercive measures — dubbed the Mother of all Rogues’ Galleries — alongside other longtime UN apologists for dictators like  Jean Ziegler, Idris Jazairy and Alfred de Zayas.

In December 2022, when Iran was condemned at the UN for its assault on protesters in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death, Douhan penned a letter to the United States blaming all of Iran’s problems on U.S. sanctions.

In 2021, Douhan received $200,000 from China at the same time as she helped the regime whitewash its ethnic cleansing of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, appearing at a Chinese regime propaganda event falsely portraying Xinjiang as a utopia. 

All of Douhan’s country visits to date — to Iran, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Qatar, and Syria — have been propaganda opportunities for those regimes to whitewash their human rights abuses.

Today, after the panel, Douhan will present two reports to the council. One is on Syria, which she visited last year, commending the Assad regime for its cooperation and concluding that Western sanctions against the regime “may amount to a crime against humanity, against all Syrian people.”

After her visit there last year, Douhan had released a statement blaming Western sanctions, not years of civil war or the brutal policies of the Assad government, for mass poverty in Syria.

In a second report presented today titled Impact of unilateral coercive measures on the right to health, Douhan blamed Western sanctions for difficulties faced by LGBT people in places like Iran, Syria, Sudan, and Zimbabwe in accessing gender affirmative hormone therapy, hormone replacement and anti-retro-viral therapy.

Like Douhan, this year’s panelists demonize the U.S. and the West, while shielding human rights abusing regimes.

• Elena Gentili is the former Cuba country director for Oxfam, and lobbies against the U.S. embargo of Cuba. Under Gentili’s leadership, Oxfam published a report in 2021 titled Right to Live Without a Blockade calling for an end to the embargo. She blamed the embargo for violations against women in Cuba.

• Jeffrey D. Sachs is a Columbia University professor who blames the U.S. for the wars in Ukraine and Syria. In 2023, he addressed the UN Security Council — at Russia’s invitation — where he blamed the U.S. for blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline.

• Amir Saed Vakil is an Iranian lawyer and professor at the state-controlled University of Tehran. He defends the regime and criticizes the West. In 2021, Vakil represented the Iranian Judo Federation when it faced disciplinary action for ordering one of its athletes to withdraw from a competition to avoid facing an Israeli athlete. In March 2020, Vakil spoke at an event hosted by the Tehran-based “Iranian Association for United Nations Studies” focused on lionizing Qassem Soleimani, the IRGC commander who fomented deadly conflicts throughout the Middle East. Vakil criticized the assassination as a violation of international law. 

• Mihir Kanade of India is a member of the UNHRC’s expert mechanism on the right to development. He accuses “rich” Western countries of violating a so-called “obligation of international cooperation” through “vaccine nationalism,” i.e., ensuring they obtained COVID vaccines for their citizens. 

UN to Give the Floor to GONGOs — Fake NGOs Fronting for China, Iran, Cuba

In addition, at least four of the supposed non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the UN’s speakers’ list for the panel are in fact GONGOs (government-operated NGOs) which spout propaganda for Iran and China, and are headquartered in those countries: “Medical Support Association for Underprivileged Iranian Patients” (Iran), “Bachehaye Asemane Kamran Rehabilitation Institute” (Iran), “Association of Iranian Short Statured Adults” (Iran), and “Shaanxi Patriotic Volunteer Association” (China). 

Likewise, at today’s later and related Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan, at least six of the NGOs on the speakers list are also GONGOs of Iran and Cuba, and headquartered in those countries: “Medical Support Association for Underprivileged Iranian Patients” (Iran), “Organization for Defending Victims of Violence” (Iran), “Rahbord Peimayesh Research & Educational Services Cooperative” (Iran), “Asociacion Cubana de las Naciones Unidas” (Cuban United Nations Association (Cuba); “Network of Women’s Non-governmental Organizations in the Islamic Republic of Iran” (Iran), and “International Association of Justice Watch” (Iran).

Why is the UN allowing regime front groups to subvert a system meant to give the floor to legitimate civil society and human rights defenders?

The post UN Holds Panel Slamming Western Sanctions, Empowering Russia, Iran, Syria appeared first on UN Watch.

While the UN procedure known as Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is meant to scrutinize governments and thereby strengthen the basic rights and freedoms of their citizens, according to a UN Watch count, 50 out of 91 countries that spoke today at the UNHRC (55 percent) praised Syria for its human rights achievements, or otherwise failed to hold the regime accountable.

“Fewer than half the speakers used their allotted one minute of speaking time to apply real scrutiny to Syria’s human rights record,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organization in Geneva.

“The truth is that Syria’s Assad regime has massacred thousands of civilians, bombing hospitals and using chemical weapons in breach of international law,” said Neuer. “Yet these crimes against humanity and war crimes were ignored by a majority of speakers today.”

“Instead, fellow dictatorships like China, Belarus and Iran were reading off the same talking points, seeking to blame Syria’s ills on Western sanctions or on ‘terrorists,’ in order to grant a free pass to the murderous Assad regime.”

• Texts of country speeches
• Video

What George Orwell had in mind when he imagined Big Brother entering your home on the telescreen. https://t.co/Q1hkDTSxws

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 24, 2022

Below is a selection of the praise expressed by UNHRC delegates:

Burundi: “We congratulate Syria for active participation in the work of different UN committees in charge of the promotion and respect of international law. We praise the efforts taken by the country to mitigate the negative impact of the crisis.”

Belarus: “We take a positive view of the progress achieved in conditions of a continued war against terrorism and unilateral sanctions, and efforts by the government of Syria to protect and promote the rights of the citizens and to restore peaceful life merit full praise.”

China: “We recognize the efforts of the Syrian government to safeguard national unity, promote economic and social reconstruction, improve livelihoods and combat terrorism. We call on the international community to respect and protect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and respect the people’s choice.”

Cuba: “Syria’s report reflects efforts to guarantee the human rights of its people in spite of the impact of war, interference, terrorism, and coercive measures imposed against the country by Western powers.”

Iran: “We commend the efforts done by the Syrian government to improve the standard of living in the country despite the severe economic impact of unilateral coercive measures [Western sanctions]….  We recommend Syria continues to monitor and document Israeli violations in the occupied Syrian Golan.”

Iraq: “We commend Syrian efforts to ensure women’s participation in national reconciliation.”

Venezuela: “Despite the continuing aggression that affects the life of the noble people of Syria, the fact that the government is here with us during this Universal Periodic Review reaffirms the commitment of the country to human rights. Venezuela supports the tireless efforts of Syria to protect its sovereignty and national unity in its fight against terrorism.”

Zimbabwe: “We note that during the period under review, Syria made great strides towards protecting the human rights of the Syrian people and fulfilling its international obligations in spite of the negative effects of the unilateral coercive measures that have been imposed on the country.”

Russia: “We welcome the establishment in Syria of a national committee to oversee and coordinate efforts to raise awareness of and bring national legislation into line with international humanitarian law. We positively assess Damascus’ readiness to cooperate with international mechanisms.”

Sri Lanka: “We commend Syria’s efforts to improve the human rights situation in the country which includes measures taken to combat terrorism and provision of humanitarian aid to displaced persons.”

Palestine: “The State of Palestine welcomes the Syrian delegation, and we thank it for the presentation of the report. We note the Syrian Arab Republic’s endeavor to improve the situation despite the difficult circumstances the country is going through, which we hope will end as soon as possible, and the need to preserve the unity and independence of Syria.’

Today, Syria’s U.N. Human Rights Council review drew praise from Venezuela & Zimbabwe.

Tomorrow, Venezuela gets reviewed. Syria & Zimbabwe will sing its praises.

Wednesday, Zimbabwe gets reviewed. Syria & Venezuela will take the floor to praise Zimbabwe.

3-day 🧵. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/fQzIPhx1os

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 24, 2022

No comment #china #Syria https://t.co/TTCpaVeY3j

— Reihaneh Mazaheri (@ReyMazaheri) January 24, 2022

Some of you thought I was making it up, so here's the video:
1. 🇻🇪 #Venezuela's Maduro regime will undergo a mandatory review of its human rights record by the U.N. Human Rights Council on Jan. 25.
2. The UNHRC selected the dictatorship of 🇨🇺 #Cuba as a coordinator of the review. pic.twitter.com/PRwAUNq9Uu

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 13, 2022

The post Syria Praised on Human Rights at UN Review appeared first on UN Watch.

“Syria’s election is a travesty,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights group based in Switzerland. “It’s like appointing a pyromaniac to be the town fire chief.”

“Syria’s Assad regime, with the help of its allies Russia and Iran, systematically bombs hospitals and clinics, killing doctors, nurses, and others as they care for the sick and injured. Health professionals have also been arrested, disappeared, imprisoned, tortured and executed. Electing this murderous regime to govern the world’s top health body is an insult to Assad’s millions of victims, and sends a terrible message,” said Neuer.

White Helmets, the Syrian civil defense group of emergency medical workers, also condemned the election. “We are appalled by the WHO’s decision to reward the Assad regime for destroying hospitals and killing doctors and refusing to provide medical assistance to Syrians by electing it as a member of its executive board,” tweeted the group.

Neuer called on UN chief Antonio Guterres and WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to denounce Syria’s election.

Over the past 10 years in Syria, there were 598 attacks on health care facilities and personnel, 350 health care facilities were targeted, and 930 medical professionals were killed, according to Physicians For Human Rights.

I know it's hard to believe so here's video and documentation: https://t.co/hM6hAB6lma

Regimes of Syria and Belarus elected to @WHO Executive Board.

"In the General Committee’s opinion these 12 Members would provide, if elected, a balanced distribution of the Board as a whole." pic.twitter.com/SHE5474oNl

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) May 29, 2021

The post Syria Elected to WHO Executive Board, Activists Outraged appeared first on UN Watch.

GENEVA, February 19, 2021 — On the same day that a UN commission of inquiry accused Syria of “crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other international crimes including genocide,” the world body announced that the Assad regime will be elected to a senior post on a United Nations committee in charge of upholding fundamental human rights in opposing the “subjugation, domination and exploitation” of peoples.

I know some of you don't believe me, so here's the U.N. video. pic.twitter.com/PvtMpOZLIH

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) February 19, 2021

The post U.N. to elect Syria to top post fighting “subjugation of peoples“ appeared first on UN Watch.

GENEVA, December 31, 2020 –  A Syrian charity created by Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad to enrich the regime has been elected by a 24-nation UNESCO committee to a world body that protects intangible cultural heritage, sparking outrage among activists who cited the Assad regime’s role in destroying heritage sites during its decade-long civil war.

The Syria Trust for Development, a proxy for the Syrian regime, was elected to the Evaluation Body of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in a secret ballot held during its 15th Session, held in the week of December 14-19 2020.

According to the UNESCO committee’s meeting document for establishing the Evaluation Body for the 2021 cycle, the Syria Trust was competing in a regional electoral group against two other NGOs from Saudi Arabia and Morocco for one available position. (See video above for announcement of the new members of the Evaluation Body.)

“It’s a disgrace,” tweeted the Syria Campaign. “The Assads have crushed swathes of Syria’s cultural heritage. Whole cities, towns and villages have been destroyed.”

International human rights activists also slammed the UNESCO decision.

“Inviting the Syrian regime to protect cultural heritage is asking the foxes to guard the chickens,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of  UN Watch, an independent Geneva-based human group that monitors the United Nations. “It’s absurd, and sends absolutely the wrong message to millions of Syrians victimized by the Assad regime.”

As expected, the regime’s state-run news agency hailed “the Trust’s victory,” saying it “carries great importance in terms of representing Syria in a large international forum.”

No joke: UNESCO elects the “Syria Trust for Development,“ which was created by Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad to enrich her husband's murderous regime, to a world body that protects cultural heritage.

Because 2020 wasn't already bad enough.https://t.co/aXB1pPtNYO

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 31, 2020

The Syrian army inflicted heavy damage on a 13th century mosque located directly in front of the Citadel of Aleppo, by using it as a military base. In addition to Aleppo, the cities of Bosra, Damascus and Palmyra are symbols of the destruction of Syria’s cultural heritage as a result of its civil war, and are all designated on the List of World Heritage in Danger compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

While multiple parties in the civil war have been responsible for the devastation wrought upon Syria, the Assad regime does not belong on any world body charged with protecting cultural heritage.

Evaluation Body

Members of the Evaluation Body, comprised of six experts and six UNESCO-accredited NGOs, screen and recommend nominations for UNESCO’s lists of cultural heritage deemed worthy of recognition for humanity, or in need of urgent safeguarding. In addition, the consultative body assesses applications from states for international assistance of more than $100,000 for cultural preservation projects.

As a result of the election, a Syrian NGO now has a significant say on what living cultural heritage is deemed worthy of protection in the eyes of UNESCO.

Some examples of cultural heritage on the UNESCO lists may seem of little interest beyond specific countries or national minorities, for example, handmade weaving in Upper Egypt, or Finland’s sauna culture, both of which were added in this year’s session. Yet the principle at stake is clear: a state involved in decimating the cultural traditions of some of its own ethnic groups should not be sitting in judgment on what cultures and traditions are worthy of preservation.

After a decade of brutal civil war and appalling human rights abuses, the Syrian regime should not be rewarded by the United Nations by election to any committee.

Asma Al-Assad’s Charity Weaponizes humanitarian aid

The Syria Trust for Development is the charity founded by and still linked to Syrian First Lady Asma al-Assad, which now sits as an accredited non-governmental organization on the UNESCO committee. According to its website, the Trust “strives for long-lasting positive change,”  fostering “self-reliant economic enterprise,” “learning and life skills,” “a vibrant Syrian cultural identity,” “strong and engaged communities,” and ” life-changing humanitarian solutions.”

Only days after the UNESCO election, Bashar Assad’s wife, already under European Union sanctions for several years, was targeted by a new wave of U.S. sanctions on Syrian individuals and entities linked to the Assad regime.

Pointing to the Syria Trust for Development, Joel Rayburn, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, said that “Asma al-Assad has spearheaded efforts on behalf of the regime to consolidate economic and political power, including by using her so-called charity and civil society organization. Her and her family’s corruption is one of the many reasons that this conflict lingers on.”

Indeed, while Asma’s Syria Trust may sound charitable, the reality is far more sinister. Human Rights Watch reports how the Assad regime has effectively weaponized humanitarian aid in Syria by forcing UN agencies and relief organizations to channel their operations through local Syrian NGOs vetted and approved by the regime. The Syria Trust plays a central role and allows the Syrian regime to ensure the bulk of humanitarian aid is delivered to government-controlled areas while denying it to rebel-held territories.

According to Naim Khoury, Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative, the Syria Trust is a key partner and gatekeeper for UN agencies and NGOs working to deliver humanitarian relief in Syria.

https://twitter.com/nadimhoury/status/1273265628133109760?s=20

The post UNESCO Elects Assad-Linked Syrian Charity to Cultural Heritage Body appeared first on UN Watch.