The remark follows last week’s Financial Times interview in which outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres admitted “we have many [rapporteurs] that are totally out of control, from the point of view of the Secretariat.”

Guterres had previously described Albanese privately as a “horrible person,” according to former U.S. antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt. His spokesman has also said the Secretariat “doesn’t agree with much of what she says.”

Albanese responded by claiming the Secretary-General “never meant what the pro-Apartheid scavengers spread” and accusing critics of being “genocide enablers.”

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer noted that Albanese herself has said she has “never heard from” Guterres, making her poorly placed to interpret his words.

“Albanese has functioned as Hamas’s de facto spokesperson at the UN. Many leading democracies have condemned her for Holocaust inversion and other ethical violations, making her the first UN human rights official in history to be so denounced. The United States sanctioned her. Guterres called her a horrible person in private. Now Ambassador Waltz confirms what senior UN officials have been saying all along,” said Neuer.

“Albanese has functioned as Hamas’s de facto spokesperson at the UN,” said Neuer. “Iran’s regime and its terrorist proxies routinely praise her. But numerous democracies have called for her removal, condemning her for Holocaust inversion and other ethical violations, making her the first UN human rights official in history to be so denounced.”

“The United States sanctioned her. Guterres called her a horrible person in private. Now Ambassador Waltz confirms it: senior UN officials knew she was out of control. A human rights system that cannot remove its most notorious antisemite is not independent. It is broken,” said Neuer.

UN Watch reiterated its call for Albanese’s immediate removal, and for real accountability mechanisms before Guterres leaves office in December.

The post U.S. Envoy: U.N. Officials Knew Albanese Was ‘Out of Control’ appeared first on UN Watch.

UN Chief Guterres Admits Special Rapporteurs Are “Totally Out of Control” – After Privately Calling Francesca Albanese a “Horrible Person”

GENEVA, August 27, 2026 — In a Financial Times interview, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres responded to charges of institutional anti-Israel bias at the world body by conceding that many of its independent special rapporteurs “are totally out of control.”

Asked about Israel’s argument that the UN as an institution is biased against it, Guterres replied: “There are different entities in the U.N. and I cannot respond for the U.N. in its entirety because there are many entities in the U.N. that are independent. We have independent rapporteurs and we have many that are totally out of control, from the point of view of the Secretariat.”

The admission comes after Guterres privately described UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese as a “horrible person” – twice, according to then-U.S. Special Envoy on Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt. Lipstadt revealed that Guterres made the remarks to her during a conversation at the 2024 Munich Security Conference after she raised U.S. concerns about Albanese’s record.

Albanese, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022, has drawn widespread condemnation from the United States, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, and others for antisemitic rhetoric, comparisons of Israel and its leaders to Nazis, denial of Israel’s right of self-defense, and other statements that violate the UN Code of Conduct for special rapporteurs.

Despite the private criticism and public distancing by Guterres’ office earlier this year – when his spokesperson stated that the Secretariat “doesn’t agree with much of what she says, and wouldn’t use the language that she uses” – the Secretary-General has never publicly denounced her or called for her removal.

Guterres’ own words now effectively corroborate the findings of UN Watch’s 104-page investigation From Watchdogs to Ideologues, released on  May 26, 2026. That report examined 13 of the UN Human Rights Council’s 59 Special Rapporteurs – more than a fifth of the system – and documented a systemic pattern of ideological bias, financial conflicts of interest with authoritarian regimes, and conduct that would end careers in any other institution.

Among the cases detailed: Alena Douhan received $1.3 million from China, Russia and Qatar while defending those regimes; Ben Saul took $150,000 from China while remaining silent on the Uyghur persecution; Tlaleng Mofokeng declared “Hamas are not terrorists”; and others systematically attacked democracies while shielding dictatorships. The report found no meaningful mechanism to remove or discipline such mandate-holders. Three months later, the Secretary-General himself has confirmed that many of these rapporteurs are “totally out of control.”

“Guterres’ interview is a rare moment of candor,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch. “For years the UN has described its special rapporteurs as the ‘crown jewels‘ of the UN human rights system. Now the Secretary-General himself admits many of them are ‘totally out of control.’ The most egregious example is Francesca Albanese, whom he privately called a ‘horrible person’ yet refused to rein in. This is not about independent experts but rather it is institutional failure — which fuels antisemitism and undermines the credibility of the entire United Nations human rights system.”

UN Watch has repeatedly documented how the special procedures system has been captured by ideologues who systematically single out Israel while ignoring far worse abuses by dictatorships. The organization has called for fundamental reform, including greater accountability, transparent funding rules, and mechanisms to remove mandate-holders who breach the Code of Conduct.

Guterres’ term ends in December 2026. UN Watch urges member states and his successor to treat the Secretary-General’s own words as a mandate for urgent change: special rapporteurs who are “totally out of control” cannot continue to speak in the name of the United Nations.

BREAKING: Secretary-General admits anti-Israel bias among UN's human rights experts, saying “many rapporteurs are totally out of control.”

António Guterres previously called UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese “a horrible woman.” pic.twitter.com/ozaPx8ncH3

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) August 26, 2026

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GENEVA, Aug. 6, 2026 — UN Watch today strongly condemned the appointment of the Eritrean regime as Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 2026 Social Forum, calling the decision “a grotesque farce that places one of the world’s most repressive dictatorships in charge of a body tasked with advancing human rights.”

The post UN Watch Condemns Appointment of Eritrea as Chair of UN Human Rights Council Social Forum: “Inmates Running the Asylum” appeared first on UN Watch.

Letter urges Guterres to denounce Tlaleng Mofokeng’s mayoral candidacy while still holding her UN mandate, and to reject immunity for personal social-media abuse

GENEVA, July 27, 2026 — UN Watch today filed a formal complaint with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres over what it described as “grave violations and serious misconduct” by Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health.

The post UN Watch Files Complaint Against UN Health Rapporteur Over Partisan Candidacy and Misuse of UN Immunity appeared first on UN Watch.

By acclamation, the 54-nation council elected Algeria’s Amar Bendjamav to a one-year term.

BREAKING: 🇩🇿 Algeria's authoritarian regime has just been elected by acclamation to become President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the primary UN organ overseeing human rights commissions.

“I hear no objection.” Room breaks out into long applause. pic.twitter.com/pTZeIWUIag

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) July 23, 2026

“Handing the gavel of a key UN human rights body to a regime that jails journalists, tortures dissidents, and outlaws its own human rights groups sends absolutely the wrong message to human rights victims worldwide,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch.

Neuer called on UN chief Antonio Guterres and rights chief Volker Türk to condemn the election, citing Algeria’s human rights violations.

Algeria’s Record of Repression

Algeria is rated by Freedom House in 2025 as “Not Free,” with a score of 31/100 on civil liberties and political rights. It has recently escalated a crackdown on fundamental freedoms.

On July 7, 2026, Algerian authorities arrested journalist Mourad At-Mimou over social media posts critical of Algeria’s July 2 parliamentary elections, which had record-low voter turnout after the government barred nearly a third of prospective candidates. Mimou’s arrest follows a well-established pattern of journalist arrests to suppress freedom of speech and political dissent, with three other journalists, Hassan Bouras, Omar Ferhat, and Abdelali Mezghiche, also imprisoned in 2026.

According to the U.S. State Department’s 2024 report, security forces routinely detain people for participating in unauthorized protests or publicly criticizing the government, often holding them for hours before releasing them without charge. Human rights groups have documented at least 250 arbitrary detentions in 2024 alone of individuals merely for expressing their opinions.

Algerian government officials also use torture against detainees. Trade unionist Ali Mammeri, who was held incommunicado for several days after his March 2025 arrest over social media posts supporting imprisoned activists, said he was tortured during interrogation. In February 2026, a court upheld his conviction and 10-year prison sentence.

Algerian authorities have targeted civil society groups that criticize the government’s human rights violations. On June 29, 2022, an Algerian administrative court dissolved the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights, the country’s oldest independent human rights organization.

This pattern of repression has continued. In March 2026, authorities forcibly closed SOS Disparus, which advocates for families of dissidents and journalists forcibly disappeared.

As ECOSOC president, the regime that silences rights groups and dissidents at home now gets to preside over the body that determines their access to the world stage.

The post UN Elects Algeria President of Key Body Overseeing Human Rights appeared first on UN Watch.

Former Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth has joined the criticism, warning against the “clandestine” reappointment. “Turk has been a disaster,” Roth wrote, noting that unlike his predecessor’s powerful report on China’s persecution of the Uyghurs, Türk “hasn’t voiced a single word of public criticism.” He called the post “far too important… to be refilled in this clandestine manner without proper debate” and urged governments to insist on “a public airing of his mediocrity before voting,” rather than allowing a rushed decision while attention is focused elsewhere.

Türk, an Austrian diplomat and longtime Guterres aide who took office in October 2022, is seeking to become the first rights chief to ever secure a four-year renewal. His current term expires later this year. Guterres, whose own mandate ends Dec. 31, is pushing the lengthy reappointment before his successor takes over.

UN Watch, the Geneva-based monitoring group, called on democracies to reject the move. It cited Türk’s pattern of selective silence on major abusers alongside disproportionate criticism of democracies.

According to UN Watch’s report, which examined his record over two years:

• Türk condemned the United States more times than he condemned China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined.

• He remained completely silent on gross and systematic violations by the regimes of Cuba, North Korea, Algeria, Eritrea, Mauritania, Lebanon and Qatar, while freely criticizing democracies including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy and France.

• Of his limited criticisms of China, none mentioned the mass imprisonment of more than one million Uyghurs.

• He issued 58 condemnations of Israel — 49 related to the Hamas-Israel war — more than his combined statements on Ukraine, Sudan and Myanmar. By contrast, he criticized Venezuela’s Maduro regime only four times.

• He stayed silent when serial abusers including China, Cuba, Qatar and Eritrea were elected to the Human Rights Council; when Iran was named chair of the council’s Social Forum; and when Nicaragua was elected to the UN committee overseeing thousands of UN-accredited NGOs.

“China, Iran, Cuba and North Korea want Volker Türk renewed for an unprecedented four more years as UN high commissioner for human rights. The free world should vote no,” UN Watch said in a statement Wednesday.

Took Sides During Iran War 

Türk has also shown a pattern of softness toward Tehran’s rulers. Instead of calling them out, he repeatedly posed for photos with Iranian regime officials accused of atrocities.

When the United States and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iranian regime targets in February 2026, Türk immediately “deplored” the U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran. Though he also deplored Iran’s actions, he qualified these as “retaliatory,” lending legitimacy to the regime’s missile attacks on its neighbors.

Türk ignored Iran’s aggression across the region, making no mention of the IRGC’s sponsorship of the Houthis in Yemen, militias in Iraq and Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank and Gaza. Nor did he mention Iran’s decades-long campaign against American and Israeli targets worldwide and against its own dissidents abroad, including assassinations and murder-for-hire plots on European and American soil.

Though U.S. and Israeli forces struck some 15,000 regime targets, Türk repeatedly tried to portray their campaign as focused on civilians. “It is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price,” he said. In another statement he added that he was “deeply shocked by the impacts of the widespread hostilities on civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

By contrast, when the Iranian regime began violently suppressing protesters on December 28, 2025, Türk remained silent for 12 days. He said nothing when the government imposed a nationwide internet shutdown in advance of the massacre. Türk issued a statement only on January 9, 2026—after the killings had already begun—saying he was merely “deeply disturbed” by “reports” of “violence during nationwide protests,” including “reported deaths and destruction of property,” and failing to condemn the government-sanctioned killings.

Guterres Rushing to Preempt His Successor

Hillel Neuer, the group’s executive director, said Guterres was rushing to “entrench his protégé” before leaving office.

Neuer contrasted Türk’s willingness to seek renewal with the stance of his predecessor Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein in 2018. Zeid declined a second term, stating: “I have decided not to seek a second four-year term. To do so, in the current geopolitical context, might involve bending a knee in supplication; muting a statement of advocacy; lessening the independence and integrity of my voice.”

“Why isn’t Türk saying the same?” Neuer asked Thursday. The decision to pursue another term, he argued, signals that Türk is prepared to mute criticism of powerful abusers to secure the position — precisely what Zeid refused to do.

“Volker Türk is not fit to serve as the top authority on human rights on account of his documented record of placing political considerations over human rights, and turning a blind eye to hundreds of millions of victims of the world’s most oppressive regimes,” Neuer said.

“Democracies should stop lending legitimacy to a UN human rights system that has become corrupted by selectivity, politicization, and the dangerous domination of dictatorships.”

The High Commissioner is appointed by the secretary-general and approved by the General Assembly for a fixed four-year term, renewable once. UN Watch urged member states to reject the renewal.

The post Ken Roth and UN Watch Oppose Guterres’ Quiet Rush to Renew Volker Türk as UN Rights Chief appeared first on UN Watch.

L: UNESCO chief @AAzoulay condemns killing of “journalist Mohammed Abu Armana.”

R: Hamas posts Mujahid Martyr video of “Platoon Commander” Mohammed Abu Armana. “If you are watching this, it means I passed into the mercy of Allah. To the al-Qassam Brigades: By Allah, we will not… pic.twitter.com/OFEoEKO1fR

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) June 30, 2026

GENEVA, July 8, 2026 — UN Watch today released a new report, UNESCO’s Misidentification of Terrorist Operatives as Journalists in Gaza, documenting repeated cases in which UNESCO publicly identified Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives as journalists killed in Gaza, despite subsequent acknowledgments by those terrorist organizations themselves that the individuals were members of their military wings.

In a letter sent today to UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer called on the agency to correct its public record, launch an independent investigation, and hold accountable those responsible for what he described as a serious failure of verification.

“UNESCO has become a conduit for Hamas propaganda,” said Neuer. “When a UN agency publicly memorializes terrorist operatives as journalists without correcting the record after Hamas itself admits they were fighters, it undermines the credibility of the United Nations and damages the integrity of genuine journalists who risk their lives reporting from conflict zones.”

The report identifies seven cases in which UNESCO issued statements condemning the deaths of individuals as journalists, including Mohammed Abu Armana, Anas Al-Sharif, Mohammed Washah, Hamza Al-Dadouh, Mustafa Thuraya, Mohammad Jarghoun, and Mohamed Naser Abu Huwaidi. In each case, the report presents evidence that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or the Israeli military subsequently identified the individuals as members or commanders within terrorist organizations.

According to UN Watch, UNESCO’s own methodology requires that reported journalist deaths be verified through multiple sources and updated when new evidence emerges. The organization argues that UNESCO’s failure to amend or withdraw inaccurate statements violates both its published verification standards and the principles of integrity, independence, and impartiality governing international civil servants.

UN Watch is calling on UNESCO to:

• Retract all statements falsely identifying terrorist operatives as journalists.
• Publicly condemn Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for embedding military operatives in media roles.
• Commission an independent investigation into UNESCO’s verification procedures.
• Identify officials responsible for the inaccurate statements and impose disciplinary measures where appropriate, including termination.
• Publish the evidence and methodology used for every Gaza journalist casualty determination since October 7, 2023.
• Adopt new safeguards to ensure future statements distinguish between civilian journalists and members of terrorist organizations.

“Press freedom depends on truth,” said Neuer. “UNESCO’s mission is to defend journalism, not to launder the identities of terrorist operatives. The Organization now has an obligation to correct the record, investigate how these failures occurred, and restore confidence in its work.”

The post UN Watch Urges UNESCO to Retract False Designation of Hamas Terrorists as Journalists, Launch Independent Probe appeared first on UN Watch.

The letter argues that immunity exists solely to protect the interests of the United Nations—not individual officials—and must be waived where it would impede the course of justice without prejudicing the Organization’s interests.

“For years, we repeatedly warned Mr. Lazzarini that Hamas had deeply infiltrated UNRWA,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch. “We provided detailed evidence identifying Hamas-affiliated teachers, school principals, union leaders, and other employees. We documented repeated meetings between senior UNRWA officials—including Mr. Lazzarini himself—and leaders of Hamas and other terrorist organizations. Yet he continued to assure governments that UNRWA’s neutrality mechanisms were effective while overseeing an agency whose personnel, facilities, and resources were being exploited by terrorist groups.”

UN Watch contends that despite repeated warnings, Lazzarini continued to oversee the payment of salaries to thousands of UNRWA employees in Gaza, many of whom have since been shown to have deep ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations, while continuing to administer facilities that provided terrorist groups with access to students, infrastructure, and institutional legitimacy. The letter states that these facts establish reasonable grounds to investigate whether Lazzarini knowingly facilitated or provided material support and assistance to individuals and entities involved in terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

UN Watch called on Secretary-General Guterres to publicly waive any applicable immunity without delay and to ensure the full cooperation of the United Nations with any resulting criminal investigation.

“The credibility of the United Nations depends on demonstrating that immunity is not a shield for impunity,” Neuer said.

Also today, UNRWA held a pledging conference at the United Nations in New York, with several countries announcing voluntary contributions for the Agency’s 2026 operations amid ongoing concerns over its management and neutrality. UN Watch warns that without accountability for past leadership failures, further funding risks perpetuating the very problems that have undermined UNRWA’s credibility.

View the Letter to Secretary-General Guterres Here

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
The United Nations
New York, NY 10027
United States

30 June 2026

Re: Demand to Waive Immunity of Philippe Lazzarini for Crimes Against Humanity

Dear Secretary-General Guterres,

I write to demand that you exercise your authority under Article V, Section 20 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations and immediately waive any immunity enjoyed by outgoing UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini for his alleged complicity in acts of terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, insofar as necessary to permit his investigation and prosecution by competent national authorities.

Immunity is granted solely in the interests of the United Nations, and not for personal benefit of the UN official, in this case, Mr. Lazzarini. Where immunity would impede the course of justice and can be waived without prejudice to the interests of the Organization, the Convention requires that it be waived. This is your duty.

For years, UN Watch repeatedly provided Mr. Lazzarini and his administration with detailed evidence of Hamas infiltration of UNRWA, including evidence concerning teachers, school principals, union leaders, and other employees who openly supported, assisted, or were affiliated with Hamas and other terrorist organizations. We documented repeated interactions between senior UNRWA officials—including Mr. Lazzarini himself—and leaders of Hamas and other terrorist groups. We warned that UNRWA facilities, resources, personnel, and institutional structures were being exploited for the benefit of terrorist organizations. Our online database mapping out the UNRWA terror network is here.

Despite these repeated warnings, Mr. Lazzarini continued to oversee the payment of salaries to thousands of UNRWA employees in Gaza, many of whom have since been shown to have deep ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups. He continued to administer facilities that provided terrorist organizations with access to students, employees, infrastructure, and institutional legitimacy. He continued to assure donor governments and the public that UNRWA’s neutrality mechanisms were functioning effectively, even as evidence of terrorist infiltration continued to mount.

These facts raise grave questions as to whether Mr. Lazzarini knowingly facilitated, enabled, or provided material support and assistance to individuals and entities involved in terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. At a minimum, they establish reasonable grounds to investigate whether he bears responsibility for complicity in such crimes.

No credible commitment to accountability can permit the head of a United Nations agency to invoke immunity while serious allegations of this magnitude remain beyond the reach of criminal investigators. The interests of justice require that competent authorities be allowed to determine the facts.

We therefore call upon you to waive any applicable immunity for Mr. Lazzarini without delay, publicly announce that decision, and ensure the full cooperation of the United Nations with any resulting criminal investigation.

The credibility of the United Nations depends on demonstrating that immunity is not a shield of impunity for pepetrators of terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Sincerely,

Hillel C. Neuer
Executive Director

The post UN Watch Calls on UN Chief to Waive Philippe Lazzarini’s Immunity for Criminal Investigation appeared first on UN Watch.

GENEVA, June 17, 2026 — The Russian government has imposed a permanent entry ban on UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, placing him on a list of 103 Canadian citizens sanctioned by Moscow for what it described as involvement in “anti-Russian activities.”

The announcement was made yesterday by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which accused those named of “discrediting the constitutional order and foreign policy” of Russia and of activities “aimed at the unlawful confiscation of sovereign Russian state assets.”

Those blacklisted along with Neuer include Canadian cabinet ministers, senators, MPs, the defence chief and Canada’s former ambassador to Russia, William Westdal.

Neuer, a Canadian citizen and international human rights advocate, led the campaign to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, and works closely with Russian dissidents to fight abuses by the Putin regime.

UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organization based in Switzerland, which leads the 25-NGO coalition that holds the annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, has campaigned for the freedom of imprisoned Russian dissidents, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, hosted democracy leaders such as Garry Kasparov and family members of Alexei Navalny, and amplified the voices of Ukrainian victims of Russian aggression. (Click here to see UN Watch’s action for human rights in Russia.)

Over two decades, Neuer has often taken the floor at the United Nations to challenge Russia’s human rights record.

Neuer was recently honored in Canada with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, for making an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.

“Badge of Honor”

“Being banned by Vladimir Putin’s regime is not a punishment, but a badge of honor,” said Neuer. “Russia is one of the world’s leading jailers of political opponents, a serial violator of human rights, and the aggressor in a brutal war against Ukraine. If speaking out for freedom, democracy, and human rights earns me a place on the Kremlin’s blacklist, then I accept it proudly.”

“Russia can add my name to whatever list it wants. It won’t change the facts, and it won’t change our work,” said Neuer. “The Kremlin’s blacklist is not a deterrent. It only motivates us to keep fighting the Kremlin’s repression. We will continue standing with Russian dissidents, exposing human rights abuses, speaking for the victims of Russia’s aggression.”

Russia Lashes Out Over Ukraine

Russia’s statement lashed out at Canada’s “political elite” for its “hostile line” and “denying Russia’s rights and interests,“ and condemned Ottawa for “interference in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation.” supporting “the neo-Nazi authorities in Kyiv,” and “encouragement of the Kyiv junta to commit terrorist acts.”

Neuer dismissed the Kremlin’s allegations. “Russia’s rulers fear scrutiny because they cannot defend their record,” said Neuer. “From the murder of political opponents to the imprisonment of dissidents, from the bombardment of Ukrainian cities to systematic repression at home, the Kremlin has built a system sustained by force, censorship, and intimidation.”

Neuer joins a long list of human rights defenders, journalists, lawmakers, democratic leaders and celebrities who have been blacklisted or sanctioned by Moscow for criticizing the regime, including Senator John McCain, Garry Kasparov, Bill Browder, Anthony Blinken, Morgan Freeman, Sean Penn, and Ben Stiller.

“History teaches that authoritarian governments often target their critics abroad when they cannot silence them at home,” he said. “The proper response is not silence, but more truth-telling.”

“Russia can bar me from entering its territory,” said Neuer. “It cannot bar us from exposing injustice. UN Watch will continue to speak out for the victims of tyranny, whether in Moscow, Tehran, Beijing, Caracas, or anywhere else.”

Founded in 1993, UN Watch is a Geneva-based independent human rights organization that monitors the performance of the United Nations according to the principles of its Charter.

Background: Why Russia Sanctioned UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer

Following are a selection of Hillel Neuer’s interventions for human rights and democracy in Russia, as presented at the United Nations and in the media, which preceded his being blacklisted by the Kremlin for “anti-Russian” activities.

Led Successful Campaign To Expel Russia from U.N. Human Rights Council

CNN breaking news with John Berman interviews Hillel Neuer, April 4, 2022:

Hillel Neuer, U.N. Watch: For God’s sake, Russia cannot be a member of the United Nations’ highest human rights body… Countries that commit gross and systematic abuses can be removed. And in 2010, we campaigned to remove Gadhafi’s Libyan regime. And that succeeded after Gadhafi launched a war against his own people. We’ve now launched the same campaign against Russia. We’ve drafted a resolution. But we need a member state to introduce it.

Berman: What has been the reaction so far from the United Nations and officials there?

Neuer: Well, sadly, and I would say strangely, when the spokesperson of the United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, was asked last week about this, he said that they have a certain level of concern about our campaign. And he said — and there was 12 U.S. senators that wrote a letter to the U.S. ambassador, calling for her to take action — and the U.N. chief said there’s a certain level of concern. And he said it would “set a dangerous precedent.”

Now, this is a very strange thing. The U.N. chief is not supposed to get involved. It’s a member state issue. And for them to say it’s a dangerous precedent, we think it’s dangerous to let a government, a regime that is slaughtering innocent people, as we’ve seen on these terrible images from Bucha, that has launched aggression against the U.N. member state, causing millions of people to leave their homes, we think it’s dangerous to have them sitting on the U.N.’s top human rights body.

UN Debate: Called Out Russian Assassination of Journalists, Persecution of Dissidents, Military Invasions

Speech delivered by Hillel Neuer to the United Nations Human Rights Council, June 27, 2018

Hillel Neuer, U.N. Watch: Mr. President, we reject the attempt by brutal regimes to use the United Nations to corrupt the language and idea of human rights.
Indeed, regular people around the world ask: “Why does a human rights council include so many non-democracies?”

Defenders of the system have a ready reply: “We need a big tent,” they say, “so that countries with poor records can engage, learn and improve.”

Well, perhaps nations with spotty records, but who actually wish to make progress, can be embraced and given technical cooperation, for example, to train their judges or police.

But does the UN have to keep electing the world’s worst abusers, dictatorships whose only intent is to win a false badge of international legitimacy?

I ask all those here who propagate the “big tent” theory: Since Vladimir Putin’s Russia was elected again and again to this Council, over a decade, did he learn and improve? Or on the contrary, did Russia assassinate more journalists, persecute more dissidents and launch more deadly military invasions than ever before?

Since China was elected repeatedly to this Council, did the Communist rulers learn and improve? Or did they crush more dissidents, like Liu Xiaobo, than ever before?

And I want to know: Since Venezuela was elected and reelected to this Council, did Chavez and Maduro learn and improve? Or did they arrest, persecute and jail more opposition leaders, like Mayor Antonio Ledezma of Caracas?

UNHRC President: Point of order from Venezuela.

Venezuela: It is unacceptable in this Human Rights Council for an NGO to use offensive language which is not allowed by the regulations of the United Nations. We launch an appeal for proper language to be used when referring to the honor of our political leaders. My country respects freedom of expression but this cannot be understood as giving permission or carte blanche to demonize any country. The Human Rights Council is a forum for promoting dialogue and not confrontation. Abusive and offensive language towards my country, and towards the political leaders in my country, we do not tolerate. President, we hope that you will call this speaker to order.

UNHRC President: Thank you very much. I would like to call on everyone to adhere to a language that is commensurate with the dignity inherent to the discussion of human rights issues. Tolerance and respect should be the key words of the work of this Council. With this in mind, I give back the floor to the speaker.

Hillel Neuer: What is offensive is that Venezuela kills protesters and uses this Council as carte blanche to cover up their abuses. “Big tent,” Mr. President? No: Big lie.

UN Intervention: Spoke Out For Russian Prisoners of Conscience Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara Murza

Speech delivered by Hillel Neuer to the United Nations Human Rights Council, March 23, 2023:

Hillel Neuer, U.N. Watch: Thank you Mr President. We’ve been listening to numerous countries telling us how much they care about human rights, but as we work closely with victims, including families of political prisoners, we wish to pose some questions. We ask Russia: If you really care about human rights, why do you imprison the leaders of your democratic opposition, Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara Murza?  Both were targeted in the past by near fatal poisonings. Why are you subjecting them to conditions in which their health is rapidly deteriorating?

 

UN Debate: Called Out Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s Lies Defending Putin’s War on Ukraine

Speech delivered by Hillel Neuer to the United Nations Human Rights Council, March 4, 2022:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: It is precisely the policy of the collective west, led by Washington, that has led to the Kiev regime going to wage war against its own people since 2014, against all those who don’t agree with the neo-Nazi values of the Maidan, with the criminal policies of the Ukrainian authorities.

All these massive and systematic attacks on the rights and freedoms, and the consistent dissemination of neo-nazism, are carried out with the open connivance of the United States, Canada, and the European Union. Russia could not remain indifferent.

The purpose of our action is to save these people and to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine. As President Putin has repeatedly stressed, we have an unwavering respect for the Ukrainian people, their language and traditions. We do not intend in any way to infringe on the interests of the citizens of Ukraine.

The role of the UN Human Rights Council is to promote a mutually respectful debate without any politicization or double standards, and to ensure that human rights issues are not used to interfere in internal affairs

UNHRC President: United Nations Watch has the floor.

Hillel Neuer, U.N. Watch: Mr. President, we welcome this urgent meeting on Russia’s aggression against the people of Ukraine.

On the 24^th of February, the Ukrainian Ambassador requested this council to meet “as urgently as possible.” Now, in other, past situations, the council convened within a day. Why this time, on Russian aggression, did it wait a full week? For the men, women and children under attack, every day of delay by the international community is lethal.

This Council just heard from the Russian Foreign Minister. He said President Putin has “an unwavering respect for the Ukrainian people,” and that “we do not intend in any way to infringe on the interests of the citizens of Ukraine.”

Mr. President, the opposite is true.

The truth is that Russian forces invaded Ukraine, in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.

The truth is that Russian forces are bombing cities indiscriminately, killing and wounding innocent civilians, a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.

The truth is that Russia’s assault on Ukraine has turned more than half a million people to flee their homes for neighboring countries, killed an estimated 2,000 people, and injured many more. The truth is that Russia is committing war crimes.

And so question before us today is this: Will the international community defend the rules-based international order?

Dictators around the world are watching. If they see that Russia succeeds in its wanton aggression, they will draw the lesson—that anything goes. We will see more invasions, more tyrannies attacking their neighbors, and more terrorism.

The whole world is watching.

Are the United Nations and this Council prepared to defend international peace and basic human rights, and to oppose aggression on a scale unseen in Europe since World War II? Will they uphold their responsibility to defend the rules-based international order?

Let us consider. Two years ago, despite our urgent appeals not to do it, the United Nations elected Russia as a member of this Human Rights Council.

This violated the Council’s own rules. Members are obliged to uphold the highest standards of human rights. Mr. President, does this Council believe that Russia’s bombing of civilians in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities and towns across Ukraine upholds the highest standards of human rights?

Under the Council’s rules, members can be removed on account of gross and systematic violations of human rights.

Therefore, if this council is serious about human rights, here’s what it must do:

1: Remove Russia from the Council immediately.

2: Adopt a resolution on the situation of human rights within Russia itself.

3: Establish an independent monitor to protect courageous Russian dissidents, such as Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Muzra, both of whom were poisoned.

4: Abolish the mandate of this Council known as the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures, the purpose of which is to define sanctions against Russia and other dictatorships as illegal.

5: Demand the High Commissioner and independent experts speak out against the crimes in Ukraine.

Mr. President, the people of Ukraine are under assault. The world is watching. The time to act is now. Thank you.

UN Intervention: Introduced a Resolution to Remove Russia from the UN Human Rights Council

Speech delivered by Hillel Neuer to the United Nations Human Rights Council, March 22, 2022:

Hillel Neuer, U.N. Watch: Mr. President, we reject this attempt by the world’s most brutal regimes to use the United Nations to corrupt the language and idea of human rights.

Indeed, regular people around the world ask: why does a Human Rights Council include so many non-democracies? Defenders of the system have a ready reply — “we need a big tent,” they say, so that countries with poor records can engage, learn, and improve.

Well, perhaps nations with spotty records, but who actually wish to make progress, can be embraced and given technical cooperation, for example to train their judges or police.

But does the UN have to keep electing the world’s worst abusers — dictatorships whose only intent is to win a false badge of international legitimacy?

We ask all those who propagate the big tent theory: Since Vladimir Putin’s Russia was elected again and again to this council over a decade and a half, did he learn and improve? Or on the contrary, did Russia only assassinate more journalists, poison more dissidents, and launch more deadly military invasions than ever before?

Mr. President, we hereby request that this council adopt a resolution under paragraph 8 of resolution 60/251, calling on the General Assembly to remove Russia as a member of this council. Our proposed text, which we circulated to delegates, can be found at unwatch.org. Thank you, Mr. President.

UN Intervention: Spoke on Behalf of 25 NGOs Demanding Russia Release Vladimir Kara-Murza

Speech delivered by Hillel Neuer to the United Nations Human Rights Council, May 12, 2022:

Hillel Neuer, U.N. Watch: Mr. President, we deliver this statement on behalf of a cross-regional civil society coalition, as listed at www.unwatch.org/FreeKaraMurza.

Russia’s war on Ukraine will stop when Russians are able to express their opposition.

That is why we hereby call on Secretary-General Guterres and High Commissioner Bachelet to speak out and demand that Russia release all prisoners of conscience whose only crime was opposing this war.

One of these prisoners is my friend Vladimir Kara-Murza, a brilliant author, historian and filmmaker, also one of Russia’s most prominent opposition politicians.

His close associate, opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, was assassinated in Moscow in 2015.

Because of his dissent, Vladimir himself was poisoned and went into a coma. Not once, but twice, in 2015 and 2017.

Despite the dangers, Vladimir stays in Russia, refusing to give up his fight for democracy.  “In Russia,” he said, “the biggest gift that opponents of the regime could give the Kremlin would be to leave. This is what they want from us.”

And now he is once again paying the price.

On April 11th, Vladimir was arrested outside his Moscow home after a CNN interview where he criticized the Kremlin’s aggression. He was sentenced to 15 days in prison. Then, on April 22^nd, Vladimir was prosecuted under a draconian new law that criminalizes the spreading of so-called fake information about the military.

Mr. President, Vladimir is being arbitrarily detained for exercising his basic right to freedom of expression.

When will High Commissioner Bachelet speak out? Thank you.

 

Campaign Video: Called Out the UN’s Failure to Act Against Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Statement by Hillel Neuer outside the Palais des Nations, February 24, 2022:

Hillel Neuer, U.N. Watch: We expect the United Nations’ top human rights body, which is right behind me, to be taking urgent and compelling action, to do whatever it can to send the message to Moscow that the international community refuses to be silent in the face of its trampling of universal human rights. Sadly, the UN Human Rights Council, a 47-nation body, has done absolutely nothing so far in response to Russia’s aggression. There have been zero urgent sessions, there have been zero resolutions, and there have been zero commissions of inquiry.

[…] We are calling for action. Here’s what we’re calling for: there is a minority of democracies on the Human Rights Council — the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands — they can convene an emergency session, they can do that today, they only need 16 countries. We’re calling for an urgent session to condemn Russia’s military assault on Ukraine, gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, to create a commission of inquiry to hold Vladimir Putin to account under international law.

And we’re calling for something else. We’re calling finally for the United Nations — and this will be the General Assembly — to take action to expel Vladimir Putin from the Human Rights Council. Russia never should have been elected. We lobbied against it. We were with Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was poisoned twice by the Russian regime, and we lobbied against Russia being elected. Sadly, no one in Europe said a single thing — Russia was elected to the Human Rights Council. They need to be expelled.

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Legal observers say the ruling strengthens the administration’s position and raises serious questions about the viability of Albanese’s case.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted the government’s request to keep the sanctions in effect pending appeal, reversing a lower court ruling that had temporarily blocked enforcement of the measures imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The ruling means that the sanctions designation against Albanese will remain fully enforceable throughout the appeal.

In a separate opinion accompanying the court’s order, Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas, joined by Circuit Judge Karen Henderson, suggested that Albanese’s central constitutional claim may fail because she is a foreign national acting outside the United States.

The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 14203, which authorizes measures against foreign nationals who directly assist efforts by the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute protected U.S. or allied persons without consent. The Trump administration cited Albanese’s advocacy in support of ICC proceedings targeting Israeli leaders.

For UN Watch, which has documented Albanese’s conduct for years and filed submissions in the case, the ruling marks a significant turning point.

“This is far more consequential than the court’s earlier administrative stay,” said UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer. “The sanctions were already back in force. What changed today is that the appellate court has now indicated, after reviewing the parties’ arguments, that the government has met the demanding standard required to keep those sanctions in place throughout the appeal.”

Neuer said the concurring opinion by Judges Katsas and Henderson was particularly significant.

“The real news is not that the sanctions remain in force,” he said. “The real news is that two federal appellate judges signaled that Albanese’s core First Amendment theory may fail altogether.”

“For months, Albanese and her supporters portrayed this case as a straightforward free-speech dispute. The court has now suggested that the threshold question may be whether the First Amendment protects a foreign UN official operating abroad in the first place.”

The appeals court did not decide the ultimate merits of the case, which will continue. However, legal experts generally view a stay pending appeal as an important indicator of how appellate judges assess the strength of the competing arguments.

“No one should pretend that today’s order ends the litigation,” Neuer said. “But when appellate judges begin questioning whether the constitutional right on which your lawsuit depends applies to you at all, that is a serious warning sign.”

“If that view ultimately prevails, the problem is not merely that Albanese loses an argument. The problem is that the legal foundation of her case begins to collapse.”

About UN Watch

UN Watch, a Geneva-based human rights NGO with consultative status at the United Nations, has documented Albanese’s support for Hamas terrorism, and has repeatedly called for accountability regarding her conduct as UN Special Rapporteur.

VICTORY: Francesca Albanese loses major battle as U.S. Court of Appeals denies her bid to suspend sanctions pending appeal. Sanctions to remain in force throughout the case. Two judges signaled her central First Amendment claim is unlikely to succeed. We submitted amicus brief. pic.twitter.com/frQY33MBjF

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) June 15, 2026

2/ Our legal brief to the D.C. District Court argued that Albanese used her UN mandate not merely to express opinions but to actively support, promote, and coordinate with the ICC's prosecution of Israeli and U.S. leaders — the precise conduct targeted by Executive Order 14203. pic.twitter.com/ZHRRYEfzQi

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) June 15, 2026

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