Post Archives - UN Watch https://unwatch.org/tag/post/ Monitoring the UN Promoting Human Rights Tue, 02 Jan 2024 09:37:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 50 states at UN call out China for possible “crimes against humanity” against Uyghurs https://unwatch.org/50-states-at-un-call-out-china-for-possible-crimes-against-humanity-against-uyghurs/ Mon, 31 Oct 2022 22:32:07 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=559138 BRAVO: Our 🇨🇦 Ambassador @BobRae just took the floor at the UN today on behalf of 50 nations to call out China's “arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang” which “may constitute crimes against humanity.” /1 https://t.co/A6KgZvQCXb pic.twitter.com/HUh3KEoLOj — Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 31, 2022 Speaking today on behalf of […]

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BRAVO: Our 🇨🇦 Ambassador @BobRae just took the floor at the UN today on behalf of 50 nations to call out China's “arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang” which “may constitute crimes against humanity.” /1 https://t.co/A6KgZvQCXb pic.twitter.com/HUh3KEoLOj

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 31, 2022

Speaking today on behalf of 50 nations, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae took the floor at the General Assembly’s human rights committee  to call out China’s “arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang” which “may constitute crimes against humanity.”

Transcript of Joint statement on behalf of 50 countries in the UN General Assembly Third Committee on the human rights situation in Xinjiang, China. Delivered by Canadian Ambassador Bob Rae, New York, 31 October 2022

 

I have the honor of delivering this cross-regional joint statement on behalf of the following 50 countries: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Eswatini, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and my own country Canada.

We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in the People’s Republic of China, especially the ongoing human rights violations of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

The release of the recent UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China, corroborates these concerns in an impartial and objective manner. The assessment finds that the scale of the arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity”.

As an independent, authoritative assessment that relies extensively on China’s own records, it makes an important contribution to the existing evidence of serious and systematic human rights violations in China. This includes evidence of large-scale arbitrary detention and systematic use of invasive surveillance on the basis of religion and ethnicity; severe and undue restrictions to legitimate cultural and religious practices, identity and expression, including reports of destruction of mosques, shrines and cemeteries; torture, ill-treatment and sexual and gender-based violence, including forced abortion and sterilization; enforced disappearances and family separations; and forced labour. Such severe and systematic violations of human rights cannot be justified on the basis of counter-terrorism.

In view of the gravity of the OHCHR assessment, we are concerned that China has so far refused to discuss its findings. In that context, we urge the Government of China to uphold its international human rights obligations and to fully implement the recommendations of the OHCHR assessment. This includes taking prompt steps to release all individuals arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in Xinjiang, and to urgently clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing family members and facilitate safe contact and reunion.

We believe that addressing human rights violations, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and working together as partners are foundational to creating more inclusive societies where all can fully enjoy their human rights. We encourage all to adopt this approach. Thank you.

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]]> Chinese dissident Yang Jianli condemns UNHRC targeting of UN Watch https://unwatch.org/chinese-dissident-yang-jianli-condemns-unhrc-targeting-of-un-watch/ Thu, 13 Oct 2022 13:43:33 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=558826 Remarks by Jianli Yang,  UN Watch Press Conference, New York, October 3, 2022, concerning the Complaint filed against the UN Human Rights Council’s senior official Eric Tistounet for systematically targeting UN Watch. The fact that we cannot hold this event inside the UN headquarters speaks volumes about the question we’re asking today: Does the United […]

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Remarks by Jianli Yang,  UN Watch Press Conference, New York, October 3, 2022, concerning the Complaint filed against the UN Human Rights Council’s senior official Eric Tistounet for systematically targeting UN Watch.

The fact that we cannot hold this event inside the UN headquarters speaks volumes about the question we’re asking today: Does the United Nations have the will or means to provide a voice for the voiceless?

This question is particularly grave when it comes to the oppressed people living under tyrannical autocracies such as the Chinese government that does represent the people of China at home or at the United Nations.

UN Watch has been instrumental in helping victims of human rights violations from around the world speak truth to power. It has lent a voice to the voiceless and empowered the powerless. And it tries to do everything in its capacity to help the UN defend its Charter and the UN Human Rights Council uphold its principles.

But unfortunately, the secretariat of the UN Human Rights Council is now aggressively engaging in discriminatory actions against this UN-accredited NGO, attempting to silence it and the voice it helps bring to the UN — the very voice that should be heard and yet would not otherwise be heard by the UN and the world.

The secretariat of the UN Human Rights Council, by doing so, is in effect helping the world’s dictators in their efforts to dampen criticism of their human rights abuses and weaken the UN’s ability to foster better human-rights conditions. This is a very serious issue that deserves the immediate attention and actions of the world’s democracies.

It’s no surprise that the Chinese government seeks to obstruct human rights activists’ participation in UN processes. What is surprising, however, is the UN’s handling of such situations.

According to the courageous whistleblower Emma Reilly the Chinese government regularly submits a list of individuals that it portrays as “security threats” and requests that the UN inform the Chinese Mission in Geneva if any of these individuals are accredited as participants for the upcoming Human Rights Council session.

The UN Human Rights Office has cooperated with China for many years by sharing the names of activists — including Uighurs, Tibetans, Hongkongers and Chinese dissidents — who took part in UN activities, including myself.

In 2013, as an accredited NGO participant at the UN General Assembly, I was forcefully ejected from the UN headquarters while attending a forum challenging China’s membership qualification for the Human Rights Council.

Before speaking as an accredited NGO speaker at the March 2018 UN Human Rights Council session, I was aggressively photographed by Chinese officials.

In March 2019, I was stopped by UN security officials at the Palace of Nations in Geneva for the “reason” that I didn’t hold a passport of any UN member country.

The UN’s actions have endangered not only myself but also my family. Each time I participate in UN activities, my relatives in China are harassed, surveilled, interrogated, and subjected to psychological abuse.

The UN’s kowtowing to China shows how powerful member-states are able to work within the UN system to undermine its ability to enforce compliance with global human rights standards.

The UN should be held accountable for such spineless, cowardly, irresponsible and corrupt practices.

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]]> Chinese dissident Yang Jianli condemns UNHRC targeting of UN Watch - UN Watch https://youtu.be/_gIyUyjo_cc Remarks by Jianli Yang,  UN Watch Press Conference, New York, October 3, 2022, concerning the Complaint filed against the UN Post,Tistounet,Video YouTube player UN Rules China Must Free Jailed Human Rights Activist Zhang Baocheng Who Defended Uyghurs https://unwatch.org/un-rules-china-must-free-jailed-human-rights-activist-zhang-baocheng-who-defended-uyghurs/ Mon, 25 Apr 2022 12:20:37 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=553396 GENEVA, April 25, 2022  — The Swiss non-governmental human rights group United Nations Watch announced today that Chinese human rights activist Zhang Baocheng, a leader of the New Citizens’ Movement, has won a UN ruling that international law mandates his immediate release. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a quasi-judicial panel of five experts, upheld in full a 23-page […]

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]]> GENEVA, April 25, 2022  — The Swiss non-governmental human rights group United Nations Watch announced today that Chinese human rights activist Zhang Baocheng, a leader of the New Citizens’ Movement, has won a UN ruling that international law mandates his immediate release.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a quasi-judicial panel of five experts, upheld in full a 23-page petition filed by UN Watch in cooperation with Citizen Power Initiatives for China, a Washington-based organization headed by former political prisoner Yang Jianli.

The UN panel determined that China is “arbitrarily detaining” dissident Zhang Baocheng, who has been imprisoned by the regime since May 27, 2019 for criticizing the Chinese government’s crimes against the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and for his providing aid to another dissident.

In its Opinion no. 54/2021, the Working Group found that China arrested Mr. Zhang without a legal basis. The UN panel called on China to immediately release Mr. Zhang and grant him reparations, and to conduct a full and independent investigation of the circumstances that led to Mr. Zhang’s arbitrary detention.

The Working Group found that “the deprivation of liberty of Mr. Zhang is arbitrary,” noting specifically that it contravened the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees on the right to be free from arbitrary arrest, the right to a fair trial, the right to presumption of innocence, freedom expression, and freedom of association.

An independent and impartial UN body, the Working Group consists of experts from Australia, Latvia, Ecuador, Zambia and Malaysia.

China submitted its response two months after the deadline, failing to file a simple request for an extension. The UN Working Group therefore refused to accept it.

In reaching its decision, the Working Group upheld in full the legal arguments made by UN Watch, and rejected all of China’s prior justifications for its imprisonment of Zhang.

Comment By UN Watch

“This is an important ruling for jailed human rights activist Zhang Baocheng coming from a central mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council,” said UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer. “As a member of the council, China is duty-bound to respect and implement its rulings.”

“We now call on Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, to raise the case of Mr. Zhang ahead of her trip next month to China and to demand his immediate release.”

“Bachelet should urge the Chinese government to stop its systematic suppression of freedom and put an end to punishing political dissent with arbitrary arrests, beatings and harassment of activists and their families,” said Neuer.

“Now that the Working Group has found that China’s treatment of dissident Zhang Baocheng violated his basic human rights under international law, we call on Chinese authorities to honor the UN ruling and to immediately release Mr. Zhang.”

In addition to its petition for Zhang Baocheng, a UN Watch written statement about its complaint was published by the United Nations as document A/HRC/44/NGO/11 and circulated as an official document of the 44th Session of the Human Rights Council.

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MORE INFORMATION

Highlights of the Working Group’s decision are as follows.

Concerning the legal basis for Zhang’s arrest, the Working Group concluded (at Paras 57-68):

In the present case, Mr. Zhang was charged under two vague and imprecise offences: picking quarrels and provoking troubles” and “promoting terrorism and extremism and inciting terrorist attacks”. The Working Group considers that the charges against Mr. Zhang “are so vague and broad that they could be used to deprive individuals of their liberty without a specific legal basis.” As the Working Group has previously stated, the principle of legality requires that laws be formulated with sufficient precision so that the individual can access and understand the law, and regulate his or her conduct accordingly.

The Working Group recommended that those crimes be defined in precise terms and that legislative measures be taken to introduce an exemption from criminal responsibility for those who peacefully exercise their rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Working Group considers that, in the present case, the laws used to charge the detainees were so vague and overly broad that it was impossible to invoke a legal basis justifying the deprivation of liberty.

Noting all the above, the Working Group therefore concludes that the arrest and subsequent detention of Mr. Zhang, was arbitrary and falls under category I as lacking legal basis in breach of article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Concerning the violation of Zhang’s rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, the Working Group concluded (at Paras 69-76):

The Working Group finds that the situation in the present case falls short of such requirement. Aside from the vague accusations of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, the Working Group has not seen information that would reasonably implicate Mr. Zhang in specific violent or criminal acts that pose threats to the rights and freedoms of others, morality, public order and the general welfare. The Working Group notes the source’s submission that the only prosecution evidence against Mr. Zhang during his trial was his tweets about re-education camps for Uighurs and interrogation records of how he accommodated a family member of an imprisoned activist. As such, the Working Group finds no legitimate aim or objective to justify his deprivation of liberty for his exercise of freedom of expression and association.

The Working Group concludes that the detention of Mr. Zhang, resulted from his peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and association, and as such was contrary to articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the present case, the application of vague and overly broad provisions as discussed above adds weight to the Working Group’s conclusion that Mr. Zhang’s deprivation of liberty falls within category II.

Concerning the violation of Zhang’s due process rights, the Working Group concluded (at Paras 77-83):

The Working Group finds that Mr. Zhang’s right to legal assistance at all times was not respected as he was denied access to counsel for several weeks. The right to legal assistance is inherent in the right to liberty and security of person as well as in the right to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law, in accordance with articles 3, 9, 10 and 11 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Working Group considers that this violation substantially undermined and compromised Mr. Zhang’s capacity to defend himself in any subsequent judicial proceedings.

The Working Group is satisfied that the source has established that Mr. Zhang’s trial did not meet the standards of a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in violation of article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Concerning the targeting of Zhang as a human rights defender, the Working Group concluded (at Paras 84-85):

The Working Group has determined that detaining individuals on the basis of their activities as human rights defenders violates their right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law under article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Accordingly, the Working Group finds that Mr. Zhang was deprived of his liberty on discriminatory grounds, that is, due to his status as a human rights defender, as well as on the basis of his political or other opinions. This amounts to a violation of articles 2 and 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His deprivation of liberty is thus arbitrary and falls within category V.

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]]> CNN reports on Geneva Summit campaign to free Jimmy Lai https://unwatch.org/cnn-reports-on-geneva-summit-campaign-to-free-jimmy-lai/ Sat, 11 Dec 2021 23:55:56 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=552537 Great: CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports on our Geneva Summit campaign for jailed Hong Kong newspaper owner Jimmy Lai—who was just convicted for backing a vigil last year for victims of China's Tiananmen Square Massacre. Lawmakers & human rights activists worldwide joined us:⬇️ https://t.co/KqL5mt8Y8b pic.twitter.com/EDL53Jjj4q — Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 11, 2021 CNN’s Christiane Amanpour reported […]

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Great: CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports on our Geneva Summit campaign for jailed Hong Kong newspaper owner Jimmy Lai—who was just convicted for backing a vigil last year for victims of China's Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Lawmakers & human rights activists worldwide joined us:⬇️ https://t.co/KqL5mt8Y8b pic.twitter.com/EDL53Jjj4q

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 11, 2021

CNN’s Christiane Amanpour reported on the campaign to free jailed Hong Kong newspaper owner Jimmy Lai that was organized last week by UN Watch’s Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, with the participation of lawmakers and human rights activists worldwide.

Lai, who was convicted on Thursday for backing a vigil last year for victims of China’s Tiananmen Square Massacre, has been languishing in prison for running a newspaper in Hong Kong that dared to criticize the Chinese regime.

The Geneva Summit campaign saw dozens of parliamentarians and human rights defenders to send a #LettertoLai on his birthday, to show the courageous dissident that he is not forgotten—and to give him strength.

 

 

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]]> UN Fires Whistleblower Who Revealed Human Rights Office Handed Names of Dissidents to Chinese Regime https://unwatch.org/un-fires-whistleblower-who-revealed-human-rights-office-handed-names-of-dissidents-to-chinese-regime/ Sun, 14 Nov 2021 12:39:07 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=552530 Whistleblower Emma Reilly exposed how the UN human rights office had a practice of secretly handing over names of dissidents to the Chinese regime, allowing Beijing to know in advance which Uighur and other activists were registered to attend sessions of the UN Human Rights Council—putting their lives in danger, as well as those of their […]

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]]> Whistleblower Emma Reilly exposed how the UN human rights office had a practice of secretly handing over names of dissidents to the Chinese regime, allowing Beijing to know in advance which Uighur and other activists were registered to attend sessions of the UN Human Rights Council—putting their lives in danger, as well as those of their family members living in China.

Since Reilly made a complaint in 2013 in an effort to stop this practice, the UN retaliated against her with what the Government Accountability Project called “harassment, exclusion and abuse of authority.” Despite this, Reilly continued to call out her employers, who accused her of misconduct.

On November 9, Reilly appeared in a Le Monde feature article. One day later, despite rules governing the protection of whistleblowers, the UN has fired Reilly.

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]]> China’s Abuses & the Beijing 2022 Olympics Corporate Sponsors https://unwatch.org/chinas-abuses-the-beijing-2022-olympics-corporate-sponsors/ Tue, 20 Jul 2021 11:34:33 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=550328 Testimony before the UN Human Rights Council’s 47th Session delivered by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, July 2021. UNHRC CHAIR: We shall now begin the quadrennial panel discussion on “Promoting human rights through sports and the Olympic ideal.” CHINA: The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics are great events of the international community. The […]

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Testimony before the UN Human Rights Council’s 47th Session delivered by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, July 2021.

UNHRC CHAIR: We shall now begin the quadrennial panel discussion on “Promoting human rights through sports and the Olympic ideal.”

CHINA: The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics are great events of the international community. The Olympic spirit transcends national boundaries and is deeply rooted in peoples’ hearts. It will promote countries to strengthen solidarity and meet global challenges together.

VENEZUELA: We appreciate China’s efforts to host the Olympics in Beijing.

RUSSIA: Unfortunately, recently there have been more and more attempts to instrumentalize sport to bring pressure in international politics. On the bassis of alleged human rights violations, certain countries are calling for boycotts of international sporting forums, using the fight against corruption and doping for their own geopolitical ends. We once more emphasize the unacceptability of politicizing sport and interfering in the activities of international sporting organizations.

UN WATCH’S HILLEL NEUER: Madam President, we welcome this panel discussion on promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal.

In Resolution 43/18, this Council reaffirmed the potential of leveraging sport and the Olympic ideal for promoting human rights for young people.

The resolution recalled the possibilities of using sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human rights for all.

The resolution encouraged States and national, regional and international sports organizations

to enhance human rights awareness and education.

Madam President, as you know, many human rights groups are seriously concerned about how all of these goals can be achieved at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Human rights activists are protesting China’s hosting of the games. They have urged a diplomatic or straight-up boycott to call attention to Chinese abuses against Uighurs, Tibetans and residents of Hong Kong, including abuses against children.

Will heads of state to go to China, in light of a genocide that is ongoing against the Uighurs, while they’re sitting there in their seats? What moral authority do they have to speak about human rights any place in the world, clapping for the Chinese government as they commit genocide?

Many today in corporate America have declared themselves as supporters of human rights. Yet Bridgestone, Intel, Visa, Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Omega, Panasonic, P&G, Samsung, Toyota will all be represented in Beijing as “Olympic Partners,” the highest level of sponsorship available. Mars-Wrigley will be there, too, handing out Snickers, “the official chocolate of the 2022 Winter Olympics.”

Will corporate sponsors of the games look the other way on China’s gross abuses out of concern for their bottom line?

I thank you.

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]]> China's Abuses & the Beijing 2022 Olympics Corporate Sponsors - UN Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKXw8Ktcnxk Testimony before the UN Human Rights Council’s 47th Session delivered by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Hong Kong,Post,Tibet,UN Human Rights Council (HRC),Video,Xinjiang YouTube player Whistleblower Rejects UN Denial It Handed Names of Dissidents to China https://unwatch.org/whistleblower-rejects-un-denial-it-handed-names-of-dissidents-to-china/ Fri, 05 Mar 2021 18:13:34 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=549192 GENEVA, March 5, 2021 — The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denied that the world body handed over names of Chinese dissidents to Beijing, and said that no harm ever came to them. However, a whistleblower who exposed the practice is completely rejecting the UN’s claims. In a press briefing yesterday (see below), UN spokesperson […]

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]]> GENEVA, March 5, 2021 — The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denied that the world body handed over names of Chinese dissidents to Beijing, and said that no harm ever came to them. However, a whistleblower who exposed the practice is completely rejecting the UN’s claims.

In a press briefing yesterday (see below), UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric claimed accusations that the UN human rights office handed names to China “are not true,” that “at no time has any activist been placed at risk,” and that “from 2015, the office ceased providing confirmation that individuals were accredited to attend sessions.”

(“Confirmation” is the UN’s misleading euphemism for its practice of informing China which human rights defenders were registered to attend upcoming UN sessions; Beijing otherwise didn’t know who was attending, so the UN was not “confirming” anything, they were handing over names.)

Emma Reilly, a human rights lawyer at the UN Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) — who was punished for trying to stop the practice of putting Chinese dissidents at risk, and who eventually went public about it — issued a statement today rejecting the UN denial. See below.

 

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Statement by UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric
UN Daily Press Briefing, March 4, 2021

Journalist Célhia de Lavarène: Stéphane, a woman named Emma Reilly, who works for the Office the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and is a human rights lawyer, has repeatedly alleged that the human rights office in Geneva shared the name of Chinese opponents with the Government… China’s Government, and she said that this is the only exception that the UN has made.  Is that true?

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric: No. We don’t agree with her description of our policies. Contrary to her claims, at no time has any activist been placed at risk by the human rights office’s practices of responding to inquiries from Member States requesting for confirmation of the names of activists accredited to attend the Human Rights Council sessions.

Since the start of the Human Rights Council in 2006, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stopped providing lists of those accredited to attend.

Instead, in response to specific inquiries from Member States regarding names of individuals, the Office confirmed the names of well‑known people for whom confirmation of their names presented no additional risk, given that they were already in the public domain.

From 2015, given the limited nature of the practice, the Office ceased providing confirmation to Member States that individuals were accredited to attend sessions.

CLICK FOR VIDEO

 

 

Statement by Whistleblower Emma Reilly
March 5, 2021

This response is laughable. The UN spokesperson is lying. Last week, he said the UN human rights office (OHCHR) “never” handed any names to the Chinese government. I posted proof online, so now he admits it.

If, as he now claims, this stopped in 2015, why did OHCHR say it was ongoing in a 2017 press release and in 2019 court hearings?

Why has the UN refused to allow any investigation since I first reported it in 2013?

Why did the UN remove the judge who heard my cases without any notice before he could publish his judgement? These are not the actions of an organization with nothing to hide.

The spokesperson rehashes old lies even the UN’s lawyers were forced to abandon in court.

First, this is an exceptional policy, only for China. And the Chinese government asked precisely because it did not know who was coming.

The activists provided witness testimony against the UN. Dolkun Isa contradicted these lies, confirming “our NGO did not release the names of individuals who would be attending the 2013 Human Rights Council ahead of the event… At no point… were we informed by OHCHR that the Chinese Government had been informed that we would be attending the Council session.”

How can the spokesperson claim a press release that does not contain any names somehow put them in the “public domain”?

The written evidence is clear. OHCHR decided to give names to China to avoid exacerbating “Chinese mistrust.”

The UN argument was and remains that a list that is never published is somehow public weeks in advance, so all requested names had to be handed over. This argument was repeated in court.

Emails reveal the real security risk that was evaluated: the alleged risk posed by the activists, not the real risk posed by the Chinese government.

But the cover-up is really about the fact that the UN human rights office deliberately placed dissidents and their families at risk, and OHCHR knows it.

Instead of correcting complicity in human rights violations, OHCHR has doubled down and retaliated against me for telling the truth. The stories I have heard are heartbreaking. It is long past time for member states to investigate.

Contact Emma Reilly

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]]> Whistleblower Rejects UN Denial It Handed Names of Dissidents to China - UN Watch GENEVA, March 5, 2021 — The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denied that the world body handed over names of Chinese dissidents to pinned,Post,UN Human Rights Council (HRC) YouTube player Russia, China, Cuba set to join U.N.’s top human rights body on January 1st https://unwatch.org/russia-china-cuba-set-to-join-u-n-s-top-human-rights-body-on-january-1st/ Wed, 30 Dec 2020 20:51:34 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=548684 Russia, China and Cuba will join the UN’s top human rights body on January 1st, 2021. UN Watch led the campaign to oppose their election in October to the UN Human Rights Council, but the EU and its member states, as well as other democracies like Canada, were silent. Prior to the election, UN Watch, […]

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]]> Russia, China and Cuba will join the UN’s top human rights body on January 1st, 2021.

UN Watch led the campaign to oppose their election in October to the UN Human Rights Council, but the EU and its member states, as well as other democracies like Canada, were silent.

Prior to the election, UN Watch, an independent Geneva-based human rights organization, documented the abuses of Russia, China and Cuba in a Joint NGO Report, which detailed the regimes’ egregious domestic human rights records as well as their equally negative voting records on UN resolutions concerning human rights.

UN Watch filed formal protests at the United Nations, published as official UN documents, opposing the election of China, Cuba, Pakistan, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.

On the eve of the election, UN Watch organized an online press conference featuring human rights dissidents who were persecuted for their activism by China, Russia, Cuba and Pakistan. They joined in calling on all UN member states to oppose those countries’ bids for election to the 47-nation council. However, due to cynical politics trumping human rights at the UN, each was elected.

Below are the reasons why these regimes do not deserve to be joining the UN’s highest human rights body, as well as a fact-check of their key campaign claims.

 

China’s Human Rights Record

China commits serious human rights violations, including: forced disappearances; political prisoners; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary interference with privacy; lack of independence of judiciary; attacks on journalists, lawyers, writers, bloggers, dissidents, petitioners and their family members; interference with the rights to freedom of assembly and association; severe restrictions on religious freedom; coercive birth limitation policy; inability of citizens to choose their government; corruption; official repression of Tibetans and other ethnic and religious minorities; and, perhaps most urgently today, the imprisonment of more than 1 million Uighur Muslims in extrajudicial camps in Xinjiang, where China subjects detainees to abuses, torture and killings; arbitrary or unlawful killings;

Claims Versus Facts

China’s campaign pledge to the UNHRC[1] included the following claims:

  1. Claim: “The Chinese Government…has protected people’s rights to vote, to know, to participate, to express…”

Fact: The citizens of China do not choose their leadership in free and fair elections. Rather, the Communist party leadership selects the President.[2] China also violates the right to  freedom of expression. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, China is among the ten countries with the most censorship and has been one of the top jailers of journalists for more than twenty years.[3] China also increasingly jails human rights activists and even ordinary WeChat users for online activity.[4]

 

  1. Claim: “China has ensured independent and impartial exercise of the judicial and procuratorial power and improved the judicial accountability system.”

Fact: The U.S. State Department reports that the Chinese Communist Party dominates the judiciary, controls judicial appointments and “in certain cases directly dictated the court’s ruling.”[5] This has been affirmed by the UN’s Committee Against Torture, which in 2016 expressed concern about the lack of judicial independence in China.[6] In 2017, Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme People’s Court attacked the very notion of judicial independence, calling it a “false western ideal.”[7] In 2019, President Xi himself published an article avowing that China would “never follow the path of Western ‘constitutionalism,’ ‘separation of powers,’ or ‘judicial independence.’’’[8]

 

  1. Claim: “China has actively participated in United Nations human rights affairs, earnestly fulfills its international human rights obligations, carried out extensive international human rights cooperation…”

Fact: China routinely blocks criticism by civil society at UN meetings. When President Xi addressed the UN in Geneva in January 2017, NGOs were barred from attending the speech. A few months later, UN security officials ejected Chinese-Uighur rights activist Dolkun Isa from a meeting at its NY headquarters.[9] In June 2018, then-High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Hussein expressed dismay at “China’s continuing efforts to prevent independent members of civil society from engaging with human rights mechanisms, including Treaty Body reviews, this Council’s UPR, and many mandate-holders.”[10] The UN Secretary-General’s reports on reprisals regularly include cases of Chinese activists subjected to harassment and intimidation for their efforts to engage with the United Nations.[11]

 

  1. Claim: “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese Government has been giving top-most priority to people’s lives and health…” and “China has acted with openness, transparency and responsibility, updating COVID-19 information in a most timely fashion.”

Fact: Chinese authorities covered up the initial outbreak, punished those who tried to sound the alarm and save lives — like the courageous Dr. Li Wenliang of Wuhan — and fought other countries’ efforts to stop the spread of the disease, by measures such as travel restrictions.[12] China’s delay in providing critical information to the World Health Organization to stem the spread of COVID-19 has now been widely reported.[13]

 

  1. Claim: “China will prioritize the development of ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas, respecting and protecting the rights of ethnic minorities.”

Fact: The U.S. State Department reports that Chinese authorities have “arbitrarily detained more than one million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Muslims in extrajudicial internment camps designed to erase religious and ethnic identities.”[14] Likewise in Tibet, China uses criminal laws to justify ethnic and religious persecution.[15] For example, China imprisoned Tibetan language advocate, Tashi Wangchuk for “inciting separatism.”[16]

 

Details on China’s Abuses

China is an authoritarian one-party political system led by President Xi Jinping who is also the Secretary General of the Chinese Communist Party. No Chinese national leader is freely elected.[17] In March 2018, President Xi amended the constitution to eliminate presidential term limits, enabling him to rule the country indefinitely.[18]

Under President Xi, China brutally silences criticism and dissent through a variety of tactics, including torture, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention. The Chinese Human Rights Defenders NGO asserts that under President Xi, China has become “the most draconian and invasive since the 1980s.”[19] According to Human Rights Watch, “human rights activists are now enduring their worst persecution since peaceful protesters took to Tiananmen Square and streets across China in 1989.”[20]

China severely restricts basic civil liberties including freedom of expression and freedom of association. As a result of a recent crackdown, a number of prominent advocacy NGOs have been forced to shut down[21] and by January 2019, nearly 6,000 NGOs had been sanctioned.[22]

Human rights defenders are regularly subjected to arbitrary detention, imprisonment and enforced disappearance.[23] According to data published by the U.S. Congress, there were nearly 1600 political prisoners in China as of October 10, 2019.[24]

Moreover, China arbitrarily detains more than one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in government internment camps in Xinjiang where they are subjected to military-style discipline, political indoctrination, systematic torture and other degrading treatment.[25] Uighur women are also subjected to forced birth control, including sterilization and abortions.[26] The persecution is designed to erase their religious and ethnic identity.[27] China also persecutes other religious and ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, Falun Gong practitioners and Jehova’s witnesses.[28]

Due process violations are rampant in China, and include the excessive use of pretrial detention, lack of access to lawyers and forced confessions.[29] In addition, detention facilities in China are known for being overcrowded with poor sanitation and humiliating living conditions.[30] Torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment are common.[31]

China’s UN Voting Record

 Negative: China voted against resolutions in the General Assembly that spoke out for human rights victims in Iran, Syria, Cuba, Crimea and Myanmar. China backed human rights abusers through a resolution denying the right to sanction such regimes. At the Human Rights Council, China voted against a resolution in support of human rights victims in Belarus.

—–

Cuba’s Human Rights Record

Cuba commits serious human rights violations, including: abuse of political dissidents and prisoners; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrests; political prisoners; lack of independence of the judiciary; arbitrary interference with privacy; restrictions on freedom of the press and assembly; restrictions on religious freedom; elections not free and fair; corruption; trafficking in persons; severely restricted workers’ rights, including ban on labor unions; forced labor. 

Claims Versus Facts

 Cuba’s campaign pledge to the UNHRC[32] included the following claims:

  1. Claim: “Cuba remains committed to promoting consideration of the just historical demands of the peoples of the South and the rest of the world on such issues as…combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance…”

Facts: The U.S. State Department reports that Afro-Cubans suffer racial discrimination and have been subject to racial epithets and beatings by security agents in response to political activism. State agents threatened antiracist activist Norberto Mesa Carbonel after he published an open letter to the government on structural racism in Cuba.[33]

 

  1. Claim: “As part of its policy of cooperation with the human rights treaty bodies, Cuba systematically complies with requests for information from the special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council.”

Facts: According to a UN special procedures database, Cuba has barred entry to the Council’s human rights experts on torture, free assembly, free expression, and arbitrary detention, rejecting their requests to visit the island and report on the situation of human rights.[34]

 

  1. Claim: Cuba commits to promoting democracy by highlighting “the exercise of power by the people” and “the participatory and democratic nature of the Cuban political system.”

Facts: Freedom House reports that Cuba is an authoritarian one-party system that  excludes the public from any genuine and autonomous political participation.[35] Cuba arbitrarily detained leading rights activist and anti-government opposition figure Jose Daniel Ferrer in October 2019 on false charges and subjected him to brutal torture in prison, from which he was just released after six months.[36]

 

  1. Claim: “Cuba will continue to promote its traditional initiatives on such vital issues as the right to food and the promotion of cultural rights as essential requirements for the enjoyment of all human rights.”

Facts: Cuba institutionalized censorship of independent art and culture by passing Decree 349 in December 2019, which established violations for art that was not regulated or recognized by official cultural institutions.[37] Because of Cuba’s failed policies, including centralized control, its citizens lack basic foods.[38]

 

  1. Claim: “Cuba seeks to…prevent the Council’s work from being tainted by the political manipulation that discredited and put paid to the Commission on Human Rights.”

Facts:  Cuba is more responsible than any other country in the world for the political manipulation of the UNHRC, sponsoring resolutions that seek to erode the meaning of individual human rights and to empower dictatorships. When Cuba came up for mandatory Council review in 2013, the regime committed a massive fraud on the Council by orchestrating 454 front groups to officially register 93 statements falsely praising Havana’s policies and practices.[39] In addition, Cuba systematically opposes UN resolutions that speak out for human rights victims in Iran, North Korea and Syria. Cuba has backed human rights abusers through a resolution denying the right to sanction such regimes.

 

Details on Cuba’s Abuses

Cuba is an authoritarian state, which until recently was led by Raúl Castro, who held the three most powerful governmental positions: president of the Council of State and Council of Ministers, Communist Party first secretary, and commander in chief of the security forces. Previously these positions all were held by Fidel Castro.[40] Fidel Castro’s reign was known for its harsh suppression of civil and political rights, backed up by the State security forces and the Cuban legal system, including a judiciary lacking in independence.[41]

After Raúl Castro succeeded his brother in 2006,[42] he continued the same abusive tactics, including surveillance, beatings, arbitrary detention, and public acts of repudiation (i.e., violence and intimidation against dissidents).[43]

Today, under President Miguel Diaz-Canal, Cuba continues to be a one-party communist state with the Communist Party being the only legal party recognized by the constitution.[44] The Communist Party controls all government offices and most civil institutions. Thus, there is no independent judiciary. In addition, Cuba does not have free or fair elections with all candidates being prescreened by the Communist Party, and any opposition eliminated through government harassment and intimidation.[45]

Individual Cubans are not free to express their political views without fear of government retribution.[46] The Organization of American States’ (OAS) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the most authoritative regional mechanism, has stated “Cuba is the only country in the Hemisphere where it can be categorically said that there is no freedom of expression.”[47]

In this vein, the government of Cuba also severely restricts freedom of association. Political groups that are not officially recognized are prohibited by the constitution. Legal recognition is denied to opposition political parties and NGOs. Independent civil society organizations and their members are subjected to intimidation, raids, confiscations, physical assaults, arbitrary detentions and charges, and forced exile, as a matter of course.[48]

Cuba routinely uses arbitrary detention as a tool to silence government critics and human rights activists.[49] Furthermore, police are known to violate procedural laws and commit human rights abuses with impunity in connection with these arbitrary arrests. Detentions are often accompanied by violence, and police and security forces frequently employ physically abusive tactics, threats, and harassment during questioning. The government also mistreats political prisoners, holding them in isolation for extended periods, subjecting them to abuse in custody, and denying them access to home visits, prison classes, telephone calls, and family visits.[50]

 

Cuba’s UN Voting Record

 Negative: Cuba voted against resolutions in the General Assembly that spoke out for human rights victims in Iran, Syria, Crimea and Myanmar. Cuba backed human rights abusers through a resolution denying the right to sanction such regimes. At the Human Rights Council, Cuba voted against a resolution in support of human rights victims in Belarus.

 

[1] Letter dated 2 June 2020 from the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, UN Doc. A/75/90.

[2] Freedom in the World 2020: China, Freedom House (2020), https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-world/2020.

[3]10 Most Censored Countries, Committee to Protect Journalists (Sep. 2019), https://cpj.org/reports/2019/09/10-most-censored-eritrea-north-korea-turkmenistan-journalist/#5.

[4] China media bulletin, Freedom House (November 2019), https://freedomhouse.org/report/china-media-bulletin/2020/china-media-bulletin-2019-internet-freedom-trends-shutterstock.

[5] U.S. Dep’t of State, Bureau of Democracy, H.R. and Lab., 2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: China (March 11, 2020), https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/china/; [hereinafter State Department Report on China].

[6] Comm. against Torture, Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of China, UN Doc. CAT/C/CHN/CO/5, ¶ 22 (Feb. 3, 2016) [Hereinafter CAT Report China].

[7] China’s top judge denounces judicial independence, Financial Times (Jan. 17, 2017), https://www.ft.com/content/60dddd46-dc74-11e6-9d7c-be108f1c1dce.

[8] Charlotte Gao, Xi: China Must Never Adopt Constitutionalism, Separation of Powers, or Judicial Independence, The Diplomat (Feb. 19, 2019), https://thediplomat.com/2019/02/xi-china-must-never-adopt-constitutionalism-separation-of-powers-or-judicial-independence/.

[9] The Costs of International Advocacy, HRW (Sep. 5, 2017), https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/09/05/costs-international-advocacy/chinas-interference-united-nations-human-rights.

[10]Opening statement and global human rights update, OHCHR (June 18, 2018), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23206&LangID=E.

[11] Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, UN Doc. A/HRC/39/41, ¶ 22 and Annexes I and II (Aug. 13, 2018); Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, UN Doc. A/HRC/42/30, ¶¶ 45-46 (Sep. 9, 2019).

[12] Alice Su, A doctor was arrested for warning China about the coronavirus Then he dies of it, LA Times (Feb. 6, 2020), https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-06/coronavirus-china-xi-li-wenliang; Barnini Chakraborty, Chinese doctor who first raised the alarm over COVID-19 vanishes, Fox (April 1, 2020), https://www.foxnews.com/world/chinese-doctor-critics-who-first-raised-the-alarm-over-covid-19-vanishes; UN Watch Exposes China’s Abuse, Demands W.H.O. Fire Chau Now, UN Watch (May 20, 2020), https://unwatch.org/un-watch-exposes-chinas-abuse-of-w-h-o-calls-to-fire-chau-now/.

[13] China delayed releasing coronavirus info, frustrating WHO, Associated Press (June 3, 2020), https://apnews.com/3c061794970661042b18d5aeaaed9fae; Isabel Togoh, Report: China Delayed Releasing Vital Coronavirus Information, Forbes (June 2, 2020), https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/06/02/report-china-delayed-releasing-vital-coronavirus-information-despite-frustration-from-who/#60e351897a40.

[14] State Department Report on China, supra note 6.

[15] “Illegal Organizations” China’s Crackdown on Tibetan Social Groups, HRW (July 30, 2018), https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/07/30/illegal-organizations/chinas-crackdown-tibetan-social-groups.

[16] The Dark Side of the China Dream: Erasing Ethnic Identity, The Diplomat (Aug. 17, 2018), https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/the-dark-side-of-the-china-dream-erasing-ethnic-identity/.

[17] Freedom in the World 2020: China, supra note 3.

[18] Id.; World Report 2019: China Events of 2018, HRW (2019), https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/china-and-tibet, [Hereinafter, HRW Report: China].

[19] Defending Rights in a “No Rights Zone”: Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China 2018, Chinese Human Rights Defenders (Feb. 21, 2019), https://www.nchrd.org/2019/02/2018-hrd-report/. [Hereinafter, Defending Rights in a No Rights Zone].

[20] Human Rights Activism in Post-Tiananmen China: A Tale of Brutal Repression and Extraordinary Resilience, HRW (May 30, 2019), https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/05/30/human-rights-activism-post-tiananmen-china.

[21] Freedom in the World 2020: China, supra note 3.

[22] Defending Rights in a No Rights Zone, supra note 20.

[23] HRW Report: China, supra note 19.

[24] Congressional-Executive Comm’n on China, China: List of Political Prisoners Detained or Imprisoned as of Oct. 10, 2019 (1,598 cases), https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/documents/CECC%20Pris%20List%2020191010.pdf.

[25] State Department Report on China, supra note 6; Up to one million detained in China’s Mass “re-education” drive, Amnesty International (Sep. 24, 2018), https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/09/china-up-to-one-million-detained/.

[26] China cuts Uighur births with IUDs, abortion, sterilization, Associated Press (June 29, 2020), https://apnews.com/269b3de1af34e17c1941a514f78d764c.

[27] Up to one million detained in China’s Mass “re-education” drive, supra note 26; https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/the-dark-side-of-the-china-dream-erasing-ethnic-identity/.

[28] Freedom in the World 2020: China, supra note 3; U.S. Dep’t of State, Bureau of Democracy, H.R. and Lab., 2019 Country Reports on Religious Freedom: China (June 10, 2020), https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/china/.

[29] Freedom in the World 2020: China, supra note 3; Congressional Report on China 2018, supra note 25 at 30.

[30] Id; Defending Rights in a No Rights Zone, supra note 20.

[31] Defending Rights in a No Rights Zone, supra note 20; Congressional Report on China 2018, supra note 25 at 107;  CAT Report China at ¶ 20, supra note 7.

[32] Note verbale dated 8 January 2020 from the Permanent Mission of Cuba, UN Doc. A/75/65.

[33] U.S. Dep’t of State, Bureau of Democracy, H.R. and Lab., Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Cuba (2019) [hereinafter State Department Report on Cuba], https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/cuba/.

[34] Special Procedures Country Visits, OHCHR (last visited May 25, 2020), https://spinternet.ohchr.org/ViewCountryvisits.aspx?visitType=pending&lang=en

[35] Freedom in World 2020: Cuba, Freedom House (2020), https://freedomhouse.org/country/cuba/freedom-world/2020.

[36] Frances Robles, Activist’s Case Hints at What Changes and What Stays the Same in Cuba, New York Times (Dec. 2, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/world/americas/cuban-activist-ferrer-diaz-canel.html?searchResultPosition=2.

[37] Cuba: New administration’s Decree 349 is a dystopian prospect for Cuba’s artists, Amnesty International (Aug. 24, 2018), https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/08/cuba-new-administrations-decree-349-is-a-dystopian-prospect-for-cubas-artists/.

[38] Cuba Rations Stable Foods and Soap in Face of Economic Crisis, New York Times (Mar. 11, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/world/americas/cuba-rationing-sanctions.html

[39] https://unwatch.org/fraud-cuba-uses-454-front-groups-subvert-todays-un-review-human-rights-record/

[40] Lily Rothman, How Fidel Castro Went From Revolutionary to Ruler, Time (Nov. 26, 2016), https://time.com/3666177/fidel-castro-cuba-history/; Cuba: Fidel Castro’s Record of Repression, Human Rights Watch (Nov. 26, 2016), https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/11/26/cuba-fidel-castros-record-repression.

[41] Id. See also Fidel Castro’s terrible legacy, The Washington Post (Nov. 26, 2016), https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/fidel-castros-terrible-legacy/2016/11/26/0659042c-b3de-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f3d1e872e45b; Glenn Garvin, Red ink: The high human cost of the Cuban revolution, Miami Herald (Dec. 1, 2016), https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article118282148.html.

[42] Daniel Trotta & Sarah Marsh, Cuba’s Fidel Castro made revolutionary mark on history, Reuters (Nov. 26, 2016), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-castro-obituary/cubas-fidel-castro-made-revolutionary-mark-on-history-idUSKBN13L05O.

[43] Cuba: Fidel Castro’s Record of Repression, supra note 41.

[44] Freedom in World 2020: Cuba, supra note 36.

[45] Id.

[46] Id.

[47] Annual Rep. of the Inter-Am. Comm’n H.R., at ¶ 127, OEA/Ser.L/V/II.130 Doc. 22 rev. 1. (Dec.

29, 2007), https://www.cidh.org/annualrep/2007eng/TOC.htm.

[48] State Department Report on Cuba, supra note 34; Freedom in World 2018: Cuba, supra note 36.

[49] Id.

[50] Id.

—–

Russia’s Human Rights Record

Russia commits serious human rights violations, including: repressive laws designed to suppress political opposition and dissent; government restrictions on media freedom; restrictions on freedoms of expression and assembly; denial of citizens’ rights to choose their representatives in free and fair elections; occupation of Ukraine and related violations; prosecution of individuals supporting Ukraine government or criticizing Russian policies in the occupied Ukrainian territories; politically motivated denial of due process to anti-Putin defendants; discrimination against racial, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities; government prosecution of LGBTI persons; torture at detention facilities; overcrowded and substandard prison conditions; executive branch pressures on the judiciary; human trafficking; discrimination against people with disabilities; limited workers’ rights; harassment of civil society.

 

Claims Versus Facts

Russia’s campaign pledge to the UNHRC[1] includes the following claims:

  1. Claim: Russia commits to countering “attempts to use human rights protection as an instrument of political pressure and interference in the internal affairs of States, including with a view to their destabilizing and the replacement of legitimate governments.”

Facts: Russia itself systematically interferes in the internal affairs of other countries, waging global disinformation campaigns against Western democracies, including one deployed now during the Coronavirus pandemic.[2] Russia disseminates fake news and contradictory reports, in six different languages, while orchestrating thousands of social media accounts to spread fake conspiracy theories. Russia seeks to undermine the very ability to distinguish between truth and fiction, as an attack on the democratic system.[3]

 

  1. Claim: Russia seeks to “ensure protection of human rights and freedoms on the basis of the rules of international law and strict compliance by States with their international human rights obligations.”

Facts: Russia tramples international law by invading Ukraine, swallowing Crimea, and bombing civilians, hospitals and schools in Syria on a systematic basis, as the New York Times documented in great detail.[4] A report from the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria explicitly accused Russia of direct involvement in war crimes for the “indiscriminate” bombing of civilian areas that killed 43 people and injured at last 109.[5]

 

  1. Claim: Russia commits to involving “civil society institutions in addressing international issues.”

Facts: Freedom House reports that in 2019 the government deemed 74 domestic groups and 19 foreign NGOs as “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations, giving authorities a range of sanctions to stifle their activity.[6]

 

  1. Claim: Russia opposes “religious and ethnic intolerance.”

Facts: Last year in the city of Surgut, authorities subjected seven Jehovah’s Witnesses—a religious group banned by the government in 2017—to torture including electric shocks, suffocation, and beatings.[7]

 

  1. Claim: Russia says it pays “considerable attention” to “interaction with the UN Human Rights Council’s system of Special Procedures.”

Facts: Russia has denied entry to UN human rights experts on enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion, who were seeking to visit in order to issue reports.[8] However, Russia did give $50,000 to fund the work of a discredited UN expert who described Russia as a victim of human rights violations, in the form of sanctions imposed by Western democracies.[9]

 

Details on Russia’s Abuses

Russia commits aggression and human rights violations throughout the world, including in Syria—where it is accused of war crimes,[10] Crimea which it has illegally annexed[11] and Georgia—where it committed ethnic cleansing in 2008 and illegally occupies Abkhazia and South Ossetia.[12]

Due to the international isolation that followed the occupation of Crimea, the Russian government sought to consolidate public opinion with notions of patriotism and traditional values. This led to a crack-down on dissent which continues today.[13]

The government retains strict control over media outlets[14] and dissemination of information in other forms. It routinely targets journalists for arrest and prosecution. For example, in July 2020, Russia arrested veteran journalist Ivan Safronov on treason charges after he reported about sensitive topics like the sale of Russian fighter jets to Egypt.[15] Also in July, a Russian court convicted journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva on bogus terrorism charges over a 2019 radio broadcast about a suicide bombing.[16] Dozens of journalists peacefully protesting in solidarity were then subjected to fines and detention.[17]

Russia’s judiciary lacks independence from the executive branch. Career advancement is effectively tied to compliance with government preferences.[18] Corruption in Russia is rampant and, according to the Panama Papers, it reaches to the highest levels, including President Vladimir Putin and other senior figures.[19]

Russia has a long history of assassinating dissidents. On 20 August 2020, opposition leader Alex Navalny was put into a coma by military-grade Novichok poisoning in a presumably politically motivated attack. In August 2019, a Russian agent shot dead a 40-year-old Chechen with Georgian citizenship in Berlin.[20] In March 2018, Russian agents attempted to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skirpal in the UK.[21] In February 2015, opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot dead. Nemtsov was reportedly working on publishing a detailed report on the involvement of Russian soldiers in East Ukraine.[22]

LGBT persons are continuously and systematically persecuted by the authorities, and experience societal persecution. In June 2020, more than 30 people were arrested in Moscow for protesting in support of LGBT rights.[23] In February 2019, the Russian authorities threatened Chechnyan LGBT leader Igor Kochetkov after he announced that he had received credible reports of a new round of LGBT roundups by authorities in Chechnya.[24] In July 2019, LGBT activist Yelena Grigoryeva was stabbed to death in St. Petersburg after being listed on a website encouraging people to “hunt” LGBT activists.[25]

Russia’s UN Voting Record

 Negative: Russia voted against resolutions in the General Assembly that spoke out for human rights victims in Iran, Cuba, Myanmar and Syria. Russia backed human rights abusers through a resolution denying the right to sanction such regimes. At the Human Rights Council, Russia voted against resolutions in support of human rights victims in Belarus.

[1] Letter dated 13 March 2020 from the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, UN Doc. A/75/71 (March 18, 2020).

[2] Robin Emmott, Russia deploying Coronavirus disinformation to sow panic in West, EU document says, Reuters (March 18, 2020), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinformation/russia-deploying-coronavirus-disinformation-to-sow-panic-in-west-eu-document-says-idUSKBN21518F.

[3] William J. Broad, Putin’s Long War Against American Science, New York Times (April 13, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/science/putin-russia-disinformation-health-coronavirus.html.

[4] Christian Triebert, Evan Hill, Malachy Browne, Whitney Hurst, Dmitriy Khavin and Masha Froliak, How Times Reporters Proved Russia Bombed Syrian Hospitals, New York Times (Oct. 13, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/13/reader-center/russia-syria-hospitals-investigation.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article.

[5] Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, UN Doc. A/HRC/43/57 (Jan. 28, 2020).

[6] Freedom in the World 2020: Russia, Freedom House (2020), https://freedomhouse.org/country/russia/freedom-world/2020.

[7] ‘Electric Shocks, Suffocation’: Jehovah’s Witnesses  Say Russian Police Tortured Church Members, Radio Free Europe (Feb. 20, 2019), https://www.rferl.org/a/jehovah-s-wintesses-say-russian-police-tortured-the-church-members/29780911.html.

[8] Special Procedures Country Visits, https://spinternet.ohchr.org/ViewCountryvisits.aspx?visitType=pending&lang=en (last visited Aug. 16, 2020).

[9] Russia gave $50,000 to UN expert who wrote report calling Russia a victim, UN Watch (Sep. 14, 2017), https://unwatch.org/russia-gave-50000-un-expert-wrote-report-calling-russia-victim/.

[10] Sara Kayyali, Russia Should Be Held Accountable for Any War Crimes in Syria, HRW (Dec. 3, 2019), https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/12/03/russia-should-be-held-accountable-any-war-crimes-syria.

[11] Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, US Mission to the OSCE (April 2, 2020), https://osce.usmission.gov/on-russias-ongoing-aggression-against-ukraine-and-illegal-occupation-of-crimea-5/.

[12] Up In Flames, HRW (Jan. 23, 2009) https://www.hrw.org/report/2009/01/23/flames/humanitarian-law-violations-and-civilian-victims-conflict-over-south.

[13] Matthew Luxmoore, A Sweeping Clampdown In Russia Has Putin Critics Warning of New Repressions, Radio Free Europe (July 10, 2020), https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-sweeping-clampdown-putin-critics-warning-repressions/30719838.html.

[14] Freedom in the World 2020: Russia, supra note 82.

[15] Rachel Denber, Another Journalist Arrested in Russia, HRW (July 7, 2020), https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/07/another-journalist-arrested-russia.

[16] Damelya Aitkhozhina, Russian Journalist Sentenced on Bogus Terrorism Charges, HRW (July 6, 2020), https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/06/russian-journalist-sentenced-bogus-terrorism-charges.

[17] Russia: Dozens of Journalists Detained for Peaceful Protests, HRW (July 10, 2020), https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/10/russia-dozens-journalists-detained-peaceful-protests.

[18] Freedom in the World 2020: Russia, supra note 82.

[19] Julian Hans, Panama Papers; The secrets of dirty money, Suddeitsche Zeitung (April 15, 2016), https://panamapapers.sueddeutsche.de/articles/57161f07a1bb8d3c3495bc36/; Luke Harding, How to hide a billion dollars, The Guardian (April 3, 2016), https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/03/panama-papers-money-hidden-offshore.

[20] Georgian’s death in Berlin was a Russian-ordered assassination, prosecutors believe, Deutsche Welle (June 18, 2020), https://www.dw.com/en/georgians-death-in-berlin-was-a-russian-ordered-assassination-prosecutors-believe/a-53860911.

[21] Flora Carr, Ex-Spy Sergei Skirpal is Just the Latest Russian Dissident to Meet Tragedy on British Soil, Time (March 6, 2018), https://time.com/5187333/sergei-skripal-russian-assassinations-uk/.

[22] Sarah Rainsford, Boris Nemtsov killing: Grief, fear and anger one year on, BBC (Feb. 27, 2016), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35675221.

[23] Police detains over 30 protesting LGBT activists in Moscow – monitoring group, Reuters (June 27, 2020), https://www.reuters.com/article/russia-lgbt-arrests/police-detains-over-30-protesting-lgbt-activists-in-moscow-monitoring-group-idUSL8N2E40DB.

[24] Russia: New Wave of Anti-LGBT persecution, HRW (Feb. 15, 2019), https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/02/15/russia-new-wave-anti-lgbt-persecution.

[25] Tim Fitzsimons, Russian LGBTQ activist killed after being listed on gay-hunting website, NBC (July 23, 2019), https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/russian-lgbtq-activist-killed-after-being-listed-saw-inspired-site-n1032841.

 

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]]> UN Watch refutes UNHRC campaign claims of China, Russia, Cuba, Pakistan, Saudis https://unwatch.org/un-watch-refutes-unhrc-campaign-claims-of-china-russia-cuba-pakistan-saudis/ Tue, 13 Oct 2020 15:43:55 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=547554 In the written submissions below, published by the United Nations as official documents of the 45th session of the Human Rights Council, UN Watch exposed the false UNHRC campaign pledges made by candidates China, Russia, Cuba, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. For more on the elections see our detailed Joint NGO Report and dissidents’ press conference. […]

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]]> In the written submissions below, published by the United Nations as official documents of the 45th session of the Human Rights Council, UN Watch exposed the false UNHRC campaign pledges made by candidates China, Russia, Cuba, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. For more on the elections see our detailed Joint NGO Report and dissidents’ press conference.

A/HRC/45/NGO/119: Candidacy of the Russian Federation for election to the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2021-2023

Excerpt:

The Russian Federation (“Russia”) is running for election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2021-2023 term. Its candidacy should be rejected because Russia does not meet the membership criteria set out in UNGA Resolution 60/251…

As detailed below, Russia is not qualified for membership in the Human Rights Council according to the above criteria…Russia commits aggression and human rights violations throughout the world, including in Syria—where it is accused of war crimes, Crimea which it has illegally annexed and Georgia—where it committed ethnic cleansing in 2008 and illegally occupies Abkhazia and South Ossetia…

A/HRC/45/NGO/121: Candidature of Saudi Arabia for UN Human Rights Council Membership for 2021-2023

Excerpt:

Saudi Arabia is running for election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2021-2023 term. Its candidacy should be rejected because Saudi Arabia does not meet the membership criteria set out in UNGA Resolution 60/251…

As detailed below, Saudi Arabia is not qualified for membership in the Human Rights Council according to the above criteria…Saudi Arabia is governed by an absolute monarchy and theocracy. Citizens have no ability to influence government through democratic practices. The judiciary is highly influenced by the government and is dictated by Sharia law.

The government and courts systematically deny freedoms of expression and the media, prosecuting and imprisoning dissenters and peaceful critics of government policies or the Islamic religion…

A/HRC/45/NGO/123: Candidacy of China for UN Human Rights Council for 2021-2023

Excerpt:

China is running for election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2021-2023 term. Its candidacy should be rejected because China does not meet the membership criteria set out in UNGA Resolution 60/251…

As detailed below, China is not qualified for membership in the Human Rights Council according to the above criteria…China is an authoritarian one-party political system led by President Xi Jinping who is also the Secretary General of the Chinese Communist Party. No Chinese national leader is freely elected. In March 2018, President Xi amended the constitution to eliminate presidential term limits, enabling him to rule the country indefinitely.

Under President Xi, China brutally silences criticism and dissent through a variety of tactics, including torture, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention…

A/HRC/45/NGO/124: Candidacy of Cuba for UN Human Rights Council membership for 2021-2023

Excerpt:

Cuba is running for election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2021-2023 term. Its candidacy should be rejected because Cuba does not meet the membership criteria set out in UNGA Resolution 60/251…

As detailed below, Cuba is not qualified for membership in the Human Rights Council according to the above criteria…Cuba is an authoritarian state, which until recently was led by Raúl Castro (Raúl), who held the three most powerful governmental positions: president of the Council of State and Council of Ministers, Communist Party first secretary, and commander in chief of the security forces…

Today, under President Miguel Diaz-Canal, Cuba continues to be a one-party communist state with the Communist Party being the only legal party recognized by the constitution. The Communist Party controls all government offices and most civil institutions. Thus, there is no independent judiciary. According to Freedom House, “the overlap between state and party is almost total.”

A/HRC/45/NGO/125: Candidacy of Pakistan for UN Human Rights Council membership for 2021-2023

Excerpt:

Pakistan is running for election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2021-2023 term. Its candidacy should be rejected because Pakistan does not meet the membership criteria set out in UNGA Resolution 60/251…

As detailed below, Pakistan is not qualified for membership in the Human Rights Council according to the above criteria…

Large areas of Pakistan continue to suffer from terrorist violence targeting civilians and the military, mostly perpetrated by the Tehrik-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani military and security forces are accused of heavy-handed tactics in responding to the militants, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances.

In addition, torture by police and security forces is common. In its 2017 concluding observations for Pakistan, the Committee Against Torture expressed concern about widespread police torture to obtain confessions, as well as torture in counterterrorism efforts…

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]]> Dissidents Urge Countries to Oppose Election of Abusers to UN’s Top Human Rights Body https://unwatch.org/dissidents-urge-countries-to-oppose-election-of-abusers-to-uns-top-human-rights-body/ Fri, 09 Oct 2020 16:56:42 +0000 https://unwatch.org/?p=547529 UN feared likely to elect China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan GENEVA, October 9, 2020 – Human rights dissidents who have been persecuted for their activism by China, Russia, Cuba and Pakistan joined today in calling on all UN member states to oppose those countries’ bids for election to the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council […]

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]]> UN feared likely to elect China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan

GENEVA, October 9, 2020 – Human rights dissidents who have been persecuted for their activism by China, Russia, Cuba and Pakistan joined today in calling on all UN member states to oppose those countries’ bids for election to the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday.

The human rights activists were hosted for an international press conference today by UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights group based in Geneva.

Click below for their remarks:
• On China: Yang Jianli, President of Initiatives for China, former political prisoner
• On Cuba: Rosa Maria Paya, Cuban human rights activist, daughter of late dissident Oswaldo Paya
• On Russia: Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian democracy activist and vice president of the Free Russia Foundation
• On Pakistan: Taha Siddiqui, Award-winning Pakistani journalist attacked for criticizing the military

Background: the UNHRC Election to be Held on October 13, 2020

On Tuesday, October 13, the UN will elect 15 nations to its highest human rights body.

Earlier this week, a coalition of non-governmental human rights groups from Europe, the U.S. and Canada called on UN member states to oppose the election of China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, which were deemed “unqualified” due to their human rights records as well as their voting records on UN resolutions concerning human rights.

Abuses by those candidates were detailed in a 30-page joint NGO report published by UN Watch, Human Rights Foundation and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, which is being circulated to UN diplomats.

“Electing these dictatorships as UN judges on human rights is like making a gang of arsonists into the fire brigade,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.

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As shown in the report, Cuba and Russia have no competition in their regional groups. While technically they still must obtain 97 positive votes, in practice their election is virtually certain.

The Asian regional group is the only one being contested, with five candidates vying for four available seats. “Yet because China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are so powerful at the United Nations, it’s almost certain they will be elected as well,” said Neuer.

“It’s logically absurd and morally obscene that the UN is about to elect to its top human rights body a regime that herded 1 million Uighurs into camps, arrested, crushed and disappeared those who tried to sound the alarm about the coronavirus, and suffocated freedom in Hong Kong,” said Neuer.

“Saudi Arabia carried out a record 184 executions in 2019. Russia assassinates journalists and poisons dissidents. Cuba is a police state,” said Neuer.

UN Watch has filed formal protests at the United Nations, published last week as official UN documents, against the election of China, Cuba, Pakistan, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.

Despite the lack of competition in almost every regional group, Neuer emphasized that there is a myth among UN diplomats that they are obliged to vote for all candidates on a clean slate. “Yet as made clear in our report, voting nations can and should refrain from electing rights abusers to the UN’s highest human rights body. We need to hear the EU’s high commissioner Josep Borrell and member states lead the call to oppose the worst abusers. So far, they have been silent.”

The report also listed Bolivia, Cote d’Ivoire, Nepal, Malawi, Mexico, Senegal and Ukraine as having “questionable” credentials, due to problematic human rights and UN voting records that should be improved.

“Sadly, all signs are that the UN will disregard its own rules and principles next Tuesday by rubber-stamping the election of China, Russia, Cuba, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia — even though these regimes systematically violate the human rights of their own citizens,” said Neuer, “and consistently frustrate UN initiatives to protect the human rights of others.”

UN Watch Call to Scrap Elections if Criteria Ignored

UN Watch is proposing a major reform to the election system. “If our own democracies continue to disregard the election criteria by voting for abusers,” said Neuer, “then we should just scrap elections altogether, and make every country a member, as is the case in the General Assembly’s human rights committee. Non-democracies could no longer hold up their UNHRC election as a shield of international legitimacy to cover up the abuses of their regime.”

“Regrettably,” said Neuer, “the EU has not said a word about hypocritical candidacies that only undermine the credibility and effectiveness of the UN human rights system. By turning a blind eye as human rights violators easily join and subvert the council, leading democracies will be complicit in the world body’s moral decline.”

“It will be an insult to their political prisoners and many other victims — and a defeat for the global cause of human rights — if the UN helps gross abusers act as champions and global judges of human rights. When the UN’s highest human rights body becomes a case of the foxes guarding the henhouse, the world’s victims suffer,” said Neuer.

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]]> Dissidents Urge Countries to Oppose Election of Abusers to UN's Top Human Rights Body - UN Watch Human rights dissidents call on all UN member states to oppose China, Russia, Cuba and Pakistan bids for election to UN Human Rights Council. Hong Kong,Post,Tibet,UN Human Rights Council (HRC),Video,Xinjiang,UN Human Rights Council YouTube player YouTube player YouTube player YouTube player YouTube player