UN Watch was quoted by media outlets around the world in February 2026 on numerous topics, including our campaign to dis-invite the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, from addressing the annual opening of the UN Human Rights Council.
Quoted in Fox News, “Uproar After Iran Named Vice-Chair of UN Body Promoting Democracy, Women’s Rights,” February 12, 2026:
“By electing Iran to help lead a commission devoted to democracy, women’s rights and non-violence, the U.N. makes itself into a mockery,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. “This is a regime that brutalizes women for not covering their hair, and that just massacred tens of thousands of its own civilians in two days.” Neuer argued that governments had the ability to block the appointment but chose not to act. “The EU states know how to stop abusive regimes from winning these seats — they’ve done so in the recent past with Russia — but this time on Iran, they chose silence and complicity,” he said. “By rewarding the Mullahs right after their slaughter of innocents, the U.N. has now sent a very dangerous message to Tehran.”
Quoted in Iran International, “UN Watch Calls on UN Chief to Rescind Iran Foreign Minister Invite,” February 11, 2026:
Geneva-based rights group UN Watch said it has called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to rescind an invitation for Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to address the opening session of the UN Human Rights Council and to release a reported congratulatory message sent to Tehran marking the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution…“It is an outrage that the UN Human Rights Council would provide a platform to Abbas Araghchi,” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said, accusing Iranian authorities of “mass killings, torture, executions, and systematic oppression.”
Quoted in NewsMax, “UN in Uproar After Iran Named Women’s Rights Vice Chair,” February 13, 2026:
The Geneva-based watchdog U.N. Watch noted that Iran was elected to the leadership post without objection from other member states, despite Tehran’s widely criticized human rights record. “Western democracies failed to take action to block Iran’s election. By contrast, in recent years, they did make sure to stop Russia from getting elected to similar UN ECOSOC Commissions. They should have done the same against the Islamic Regime,” UN Watch said. U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said the appointment undermines the credibility of the world body. “By electing Iran to help lead a commission devoted to democracy, women’s rights and non-violence, the U.N. makes itself into a mockery. This is a regime that brutalizes women for not covering their hair, and that just massacred tens of thousands of its own civilians in two days,” Neuer said, Breitbart reported.
Quoted in Iran International, “Shot, Chased, Denied Care: How a Mother Was Left to Die in Iran’s Massacre,” February 24, 2026:
In an interview conducted before Gharibabadi was set to speak, UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer called on governments to refuse participation, warning that granting Tehran a podium would send a devastating message to victims and their families. “You cannot grant a false badge of international legitimacy to a regime that just murdered tens of thousands of its people,” Neuer toldEye for Iran, adding, “Shame on the UN for inviting the murderers who try to wound and kill innocent people.” A global petition supporting the walkout effort gathered more than 360,000 signatures. But video from Monday’s session showed that most delegations remained in place as the Iranian official delivered his remarks.
Featured in the Hindustan Times, “Iran-US Tensions Live Updates: UN Watch Urges UN Chief to Withdraw Invitation to Iran’s Foreign Minister,” February 11, 2026:
UN Watch said it has urged UN Secretary-General António Guterres to rescind an invitation for Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to address the opening session of the UN Human Rights Council and to disclose a reported congratulatory message sent to Tehran marking the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution. The organisation said it sent a formal letter calling on Guterres to withdraw Araghchi’s invitation to speak at the council’s annual opening in Geneva on February 23.
Quoted in Breitbart, “Iran Claims U.N. Chief Congratulated It on Anniversary of Islamist Revolution,” February 11, 2026:
U.N. Watch also demanded Guterres rescind the invitation to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to address the opening of the annual U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meeting on February 23. If Guterres does not comply, U.N. Watch threatened to petition Swiss authorities to arrest Araghchi for crimes against humanity when he arrives in Geneva. “It is an outrage that the U.N. Human Rights Council would provide a platform to Abbas Araghchi, a key figure in a regime accused of mass killings, torture, executions, and systematic oppression of its own people,” said U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer.
Quoted in Haaretz, “Is the Israel-Palestine Conflict Crashing the Whole Idea of Global Human Rights?” February 13, 2026:
UN agencies are often at the epicenter of these clashes. In mid-2025, around 500 employees called on Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to declare that Israel was committing genocide, while the right-wing activist group UN Watch demanded his resignation, calling him “obsessed” with Israel.
Featured in Fox News, “UN Chief Blasted as ‘Abjectly Tone-Deaf’ Over Message to Iran Marking Revolution Anniversary,” February 11, 2026:
Furthermore, according to the NGO U.N. Watch, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to address the U.N. Human Rights Council on Feb. 23. Against that backdrop, critics said the secretary-general’s congratulatory message risked sending a conflicting signal.
Quoted in the Liberty Times, “The Appointment of Iran as Vice President of the Organization ‘Promoting Democracy and Women’s Rights’ Has Drawn Criticism from the United Nations, with Some Accusing It of Being a ‘Fox Guarding a Henhouse,’” February 13, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, executive director of the human rights organization UN Watch, expressed outrage, stating that for a regime that punishes women for not wearing a headscarf and has even brutally murdered tens of thousands of civilians, this move by the UN is tantamount to “legalizing” its actions. Neuer further named EU countries, pointing out that they had the ability to prevent Russia from obtaining a similar seat in the past, but chose “silence and complicity” in the Iran case.
Quoted in Iran International, “‘Shame on the UN for Inviting Iran Murderers,’ UN Watch Chief Says,” February 21, 2026:
“Shame on the UN for inviting murderers”, UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer said on Iran International’s Eye for Iran podcast, urging the world to stop granting legitimacy to Iran’s regime by welcoming it at the UN after it killed tens of thousands last month.”Kazem Gharibabadi, deputy foreign minister of the murderous Islamic Regime in Iran, is now listed to address the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday, Feb. 23, at 2:00 pm. We call on all democracies: As soon as he begin to speak, you must stand up and walk out,” Neuer said in a post on his X account on Saturday.
Quoted in Haaretz, “UN Defends Special Rapporteur Albanese Against ‘Personal Attacks’ Following Her Controversial Remarks,” February 15, 2026:
Albanese’s remarks sparked backlash and a campaign to oust her, led by the pro-Israel NGO UN Watch, prompting major European countries – including Germany, France, and the Czech Republic – to call for her resignation.
Quoted in the Epoch Times, “Experts Say the New Secretary-General Must Reform a UN in Crisis,” February 1, 2026:
“Rafael Mariano Grossi is a serious diplomat with technical credibility, particularly on nuclear non-proliferation,” Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, told The Epoch Times .“That said, the crisis the UN is currently facing is not technical, but moral and institutional.” “The real question is whether a candidate is prepared to confront the politicization, corruption and double standards deeply entrenched within the UN system,” adds Mr. Neuer.
Quoted in Il Foglio, “From NGOs to UN Rapporteurs, Human Rights Champions Are Devouring Themselves,” February 10, 2026:
Amnesty International was ten times quicker to condemn Jeff Bezos’s firing at the Washington Post than to condemn the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic regime in Iran in three weeks,” writes Hillel Neuer, director of UN Watch. The organization was swift in condemning the newspaper’s firings, presenting them as an attack on press freedom. Faced with the atrocities perpetrated by the Iranian regime, the NGO’s reactions have been slow, tepid, or nonexistent . The disproportionate timing and tone reveal a structural bias: American capitalism is an easy and immediate target; authoritarian theocracies, much less so.
Quoted in Il Giornale, “Albanese at Forum With Islamist Leader: Israel Is the Enemy of Humanity,” February 9, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, executive director of “UN Watch,” addressed French President Emmanuel Macron directly: “As a member of the Human Rights Council,” he said, “when one of its speakers attends a conference with a terrorist and then describes the Jewish state as an enemy of humanity, you have a duty to speak up and hold him accountable for his actions.”
Quoted in Rebel News, “Watchdog Warning: Your Tax Dollars Are Funding UN ‘Terrorists,’” February 5, 2026:
I caught up with Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based UN Watch, at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism to discuss the ongoing saga of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinians. Albanese has been a lightning rod for criticism in Australia, but Neuer’s latest findings suggest her position may now be untenable. “We found that she did not tell the truth,” Neuer told me bluntly. While Albanese originally claimed her trip to Australia and New Zealand was entirely UN-funded, a committee of her own peers later confirmed she accepted external money.
Quoted in Israel Hayom, “Official Appeal to the UN Secretary-General: Cancel the Invitation of the Iranian Foreign Minister,” February 11, 2026:
UN Watch today sent an official letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, calling for the immediate cancellation of the invitation to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to address the annual opening of the UN Human Rights Council on February 23, 2026. They also call on the organization to publicly publish the full text of the congratulatory message it reportedly sent to Iranian President Masoud Pazakhian on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the “victory of the Islamic Revolution.”
Quoted in Eco Del Sannio, “Iran: Vice President of UN Commission for Social Development Elected Amid Controversy,” February 13, 2026:
Electing Iran to head a commission dedicated to democracy, women’s rights, and nonviolence is a “mockery,” denounced Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. “This is a regime that brutalizes women for not covering their hair and has just massacred tens of thousands of civilians in two days,” Neuer said. He added that governments had the opportunity to block the nomination but chose not to act. “EU states know how to prevent abusive regimes from obtaining these seats—they did so in the recent past with Russia—but this time, with Iran, they have chosen silence and complicity,” he said.
Featured in i24 News, “UN Watch Files Formal Complaint Against UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese,” February 26, 2026:
The watchdog group UN Watch has submitted a formal complaint to the United Nations Coordination Committee, calling for a review of the conduct of Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories. In its filing, UN Watch alleges that Albanese has committed serious breaches of the UN’s Code of Conduct, arguing that her public statements fall short of the standards of impartiality and professionalism required of UN mandate holders. The NGO points to rare and coordinated public rebukes from a number of governments, including France, Germany, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, and Argentina, as evidence that her conduct has drawn broad international concern.
Quoted in the Times of Israel, “France Calls on UN Rapporteur Albanese to Resign Over ‘Common Enemy’ Israel Remarks,” February 11, 2026:
UN Watch Director Hillel Neuer posted the clip of Albanese making the remarks during the al-Jazeera panel, commenting Sunday that “she casts the Jewish state as an ontological force corrupting humanity itself, dehumanizing Israelis to frame all violence against them as justified.”
Quoted in Notícias ao Minuto, UN Watch Believes Albanese Has Lost Legitimacy and Demands Her Resignation,” February 26, 2026:
In a letter addressed today to Surya Deva, chair of the Coordinating Committee of the Special Procedures of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer, justifies the letter by citing “the alleged serious and systematic violations of the Code of Conduct for Mandate Holders of the UN Special Procedures by Francesca Albanese”.
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post, “Guterres Faces Backlash for Congratulating Iranian Regime, UN Watch Demands Transparency,” February 11, 2026:
UN Watch demanded that Guterres release the full text of his letter, stating that “the world deserves transparency on this matter.” “If the reports are authentic, we urge you to explain how congratulating a regime responsible for ongoing massacres serves the cause of peace and justice,” a letter written by UN Watch to Guterres read.
Quoted in the Times of Israel, “Iranian State TV Airs ‘Hit List’ of Seven Top Israeli Officials, Including Netanyahu,” February 13, 2026:
Also on Thursday, a letter written by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Iran a day earlier, congratulating the country on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, was met with condemnations, with Geneva-based rights group UN Watch calling it “shameful.”
Quoted in Revista Oeste, “Iran Assumes Vice-Presidency in UN Social Commission,” February 13, 2026:
The director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer, said that the election makes the UN a “scornful object.” According to him, European governments could have prevented the appointment. “The countries of the European Union know how to prevent abusive regimes from winning these seats,” he stated. “They did it recently with Russia, but this time, regarding Iran, they chose silence and complicity.”
Featured in JNS, “Anti-Israel, Former President of Chile Nominated as Next UN Secretary-General,” February 2, 2026:
According to U.N. Watch, Bachelet issued 14 comments about Israel, more than any democratic country. She made the same number of statements about Syria and fewer about Iran, according to the watchdog.
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post, “Israel Praises Ecuador’s ‘Moral Leadership’ in Withdrawing from UN Committee on Palestinian Rights,” February 25, 2026:
As UN Watch noted, “It is the only General Assembly human rights committee devoted to a single cause. The Committee’s mandate concerns Israeli actions only and is inherently prejudiced and one-sided. Its reports systematically turn a blind eye to Palestinian terrorism against Israeli civilians.”
Quoted in La Milano, “Iran Elected Vice-President of the UN Commission for Social Development, Sparking Controversy: ‘A Fox Guarding the Henhouse,’” February 13, 2026:
Choosing Iran to head a commission dedicated to democracy, women’s rights, and non-violence is a “mockery,” denounced Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. “This is a regime that brutalizes women for not covering their hair and has just massacred tens of thousands of civilians in two days,” Neuer stated. He added that governments had the option to block the nomination but chose not to act. “EU states know how to prevent abusive regimes from obtaining these positions—they did so recently with Russia—but this time, with Iran, they have opted for silence and complicity,” he added.
Quoted in Norge IDAG, “Iran to Be UN Vice-Chair for Democracy and Women’s Rights,” February 13, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, stated: “It is a scandal that the UN Human Rights Council would give a platform to Abbas Araghchi, a key figure in a regime accused of mass murder, torture, executions and systematic oppression of its own people. The Secretary-General’s alleged congratulations to the same regime on its so-called ‘Islamic Revolution’ anniversary – which celebrates an ideology that has led to decades of atrocities – compound the hypocrisy. The UN was founded to prevent atrocities, not to honor those who commit them.”
Quoted in World Israel News, “France Joins Calls to Remove UN Official Who Declared Israel the ‘Enemy of Humanity,’” February 12, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, praised France’s decision. “France’s bold call for Francesca Albanese’s resignation is a crucial step toward restoring integrity to the UN human rights system. For too long, Albanese has abused her position to spew Goebbels-like demonology against Israel, inciting hatred and legitimizing terrorism under the guise of human rights advocacy. She has disgraced the world body and betrayed the very people she claims to defend.”
