UN Watch was quoted by media outlets around the world in January 2026 on numerous topics, including Hillel Neuer’s successful campaign to bar Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi from attending the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Featured in The European Conservative, “‘The UN’s Position on Iran Is Shameful and Shows How Twisted Its Priorities Are’—UN Watch Director Hillel Neuer,” January 28, 2026:
It must be understood that to reach an important position, you have to be very careful about who you condemn. If you condemn Israel, condemn capitalism, and invite Greta Thunberg, you become very popular because you criticize the West, and you make 120 countries, Russia, and China happy. You also make many Western academics and intellectuals happy. That is why they do not criticize Russia, China, or the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, it is appalling how weak and silent Gutiérrez and his staff have been. The experts you mention, only five of whom have signed statements against repression in Iran, belong to the latter category: volunteers. These experts are known as special rapporteurs, the most famous being Francesca Albanese, although there are many others. Unfortunately, they are all appointed by the Human Rights Council, and the people who are chosen are those whose main interest is to condemn the West, colonialism, and capitalism.
Featured in Voice of America, “UN Watch Director Warns Araqchi: Come to Davos, You Will Be Arrested and Tried,” January 19, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Watch, warned in a message to Abbas Araqchi, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister, that if he attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, a criminal complaint will be filed against him with the Swiss prosecutor’s office…The UN Watch Executive Director also clarified that Araqchi does not enjoy immunity from prosecution because, under peremptory norms of international law, crimes such as crimes against humanity and torture do not fall under official or state immunity. According to him, acts such as murder, torture and rape can never be considered “official acts of a state.”
Quoted in Haaretz, “UN Watch CEO Says the Organization Endorses Any Lie Hamas Puts Out,” January 27, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, said in Israel’s International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, held in Jerusalem, that “the UN plays a major role in an ecosystem of antisemitism.” “Where Hamas would put out a lie, for example, that a hospital was bombed by Israel…, the UN will endorse it, and then newspapers around the world [would repeat that]. The United Nations, with all its moral legitimacy, is giving its [rubber stamp] to the demonization of Israel,” he added.
Quoted in Radio Free Europe, “Internet Blackout Enters 12th Day,” January 19, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, an international human rights lawyer and executive director at UN Watch, also warned that if Araqchi travels to Switzerland, a criminal complaint will be filed against him with the country’s prosecutors. According to Neuer, Araqchi’s role on the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic republic in suppressing protesters could amount to a crime against humanity and is beyond the scope of international immunity.
Featured in Iran International, “UN Watch Executive Director Addresses World Economic Forum: A Massacre Has Occurred in Iran,” January 19, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, criticized the organization’s language, referring to the World Economic Forum’s post on X Network regarding the cancellation of the presence of Abbas Araqchi, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister, in Davos. Neuer wrote that the UN watchdog was on the verge of filing a criminal complaint to ask Swiss police to arrest Araqchi during his speech, adding that canceling the program was a “smart decision.” Referring to the phrase “tragic loss of civilian life” used in the World Economic Forum post, he asked why the organization was speaking “as if the regime was not committing genocide,” and emphasized that what was happening in Iran was not simply a vague “tragedy,” but an organized massacre.
Quoted in Newsmax, “Iran FM Barred From Davos Over Protester Killings,” January 19, 2026:
The move to bar Araghchi came after growing international pressure and criticism. Hillel Neuer, executive director of the watchdog group UN Watch, had warned that Araghchi’s presence in Switzerland would trigger his possible arrest for alleged crimes against humanity.”In light of our plan to file a criminal complaint with Swiss authorities over the regime’s massacre of protesters, Iran’s foreign minister will not be attending the World Economic Forum,” Neuer said in a post on X.
Quoted in Iran International, “Global Reactions to Nationwide Protests Continue: Regime’s Repression Strategy Does Not Create Stability,” January 1, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, founding president of the Geneva Conference on Human Rights and Democracy and an international human rights lawyer, wrote on X Network to Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International: “You’re the head of Amnesty International, which was founded to help dissidents defying dictatorships. Why are you refusing to say one word for Iran’s peaceful protesters now facing a brutal crackdown, targeted arrests, tear gas, water cannons and live ammunition?”
Featured in Iran Wire, “Hillel Neuer Addresses Araqchi: Set foot in Davos, We Will Sue,” January 19, 2026:
Hillel C. Neuer, an international human rights lawyer and executive director of the United Nations Watch, wrote on the “X” account (formerly Twitter) to the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi: “If you set foot in Davos this week, I will file a criminal complaint against you with Swiss prosecutors.” On Sunday, January 18, 1404, the “Unity Against a Nuclear Iran” organization announced that Abbas Araqchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, had been “quietly” added to the list of speakers at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Quoted in the Epoch Times, “Iranian Protests See a Surge in Death Toll; 30 Organizations Urge UN Action,” January 14, 2026:
A transnational coalition of 30 non-governmental organizations and human rights groups issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations on Tuesday (January 13), demanded immediate action to stop the “horrific massacre” of protesters by the Iranian Islamic regime. Led by UN Watch, 30 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from 17 countries, including the United States, Canada, France, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and India, issued a joint statement submitting an urgent petition to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Quoted in Iran Wire, “World Economic Forum Revokes Araghchi’s Invitation to Davos,” January 19, 2026:
Additionally, Hillel Neuer, an international human rights lawyer and executive director of UN Watch, addressed Araghchi directly on his X (formerly Twitter) account, stating: “ f you set foot in Davos this week, a criminal complaint will be filed with Swiss prosecutors.”
Quoted in Breitbart, “GOP, Security Experts Rally Behind Trump Iran Warning: Actions and Consequences, Mullahs,” January 2, 2026:
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer highlighted the scale of U.S. backing. “Extraordinary U.S. backing for Iranian people,” Neuer wrote, reposting Trump’s message that “if Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue — we are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Featured in Mojahedin News, “UN Watch Executive Director: I Asked France to Stop Opposing the Designation of the IRGC as a Terrorist Organization,” January 20, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, an international human rights lawyer and executive director of UN Watch, announced in a new post on the social media platform X on Monday, January 19, that he is in Paris to urge the French government to stop opposing the European Union’s designation of the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group. Neuer wrote that the purpose of his trip to Paris is to “urge France to stop opposing the European Union’s designation of the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group” and to also urge Paris to support an urgent meeting of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the human rights situation in Iran “and not in the next 10 days, as EU member states and the UK are reportedly about to request.”
Featured in Iran Wire, “Hillel Neuer: Davos Organizers Feared Police Raid to Arrest You,” January 20, 2026:
Hillel C. Neuer had previously threatened Abbas Araqchi that if he set foot at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, he would file an official complaint against him with the country’s prosecutors for “crimes against humanity.”
Quoted in Gooya News, “Fear of Arrest for Crimes Against Humanity; Araqchi’s Invitation to the World Economic Forum Canceled,” January 19, 2026:
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer wrote on X: “In wake of our plan to file a criminal complaint for Swiss authorities to arrest him for crimes against humanity, given his role in the regime murdering protesters, Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will NOT be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.”
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post, “‘Nuremberg Moment’: UN Human Rights Council Adopts Motion for Probe into Iran Protest Violence,” January 23, 2026:
“Due to the veto power of China and Russia, the UN Security Council is blocked from taking action on Iran,” Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, said last week. “But we know from past experience that if EU states take the lead at the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council – where there is no veto – they can adopt a strong condemnation of the Iranian regime’s massacre of protesters, and establish mechanisms of investigation, accountability and justice.”
Quoted in Breitbart, “Somalia Assumes Rotating Presidency of U.N. Security Council,” January 1, 2026:
U.N. Watch executive director Hillel Neuer highlighted the absurdity of handing over the presidency of the Security Council to “the #1 Worst Country in the World on the failed state index last year.”
Quoted in i24 News, “The Davos Forum Withdraws its Invitation to the Iranian Foreign Minister,” January 19, 2026:
The pressure on the WEF intensified following UN Watch’s intervention. Its executive director, Hillel Neuer, had warned that a criminal complaint would be filed with Swiss authorities for crimes against humanity if Araghchi attended Davos. He welcomed Araghchi’s withdrawal announcement as a direct consequence of this initiative.
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post, “‘Akin to Inviting Hitler’: Iran’s FM Disinvited from Davos Following Backlash,” January 19, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, had earlier warned Aragchi that his attendance would be met with a criminal complaint to Swiss prosecutors over his role in the regime’s massacres of Iranian civilian protesters. “In wake of our plan to file a criminal complaint for Swiss authorities to arrest him for crimes against humanity, given his role in the regime murdering protesters, Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will NOT be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos this week,” Neuer announced on X/Twitter.
Quoted in JNS, “Trump Announces US Exit From Dozens of UN, International Groups,” January 8, 2026:
Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch, told JNS that the administration’s decision to “disengage from dysfunctional U.N. agencies highlights a broader credibility crisis.” U.N. Women, for example, failed to take meaningful action against its deputy chief, Sarah Douglas, who endorsed more than 150 anti-Israel social media posts that violated the U.N. code of conduct, Neuer said. “That absence of accountability, compounded by electing regimes like Saudi Arabia to lead its women’s rights commission last year, reinforces why reform—or recalibration of U.S. engagement—is necessary,” Neuer said.
Featured in Ynet News, “UN Watchdog Slams Human Rights Experts for Ignoring Iran’s Abuses While Targeting Israel,” January 19, 2026:
A new report by UN Watch reveals a stark picture of double standards among United Nations human rights experts: while the regime in Tehran commits crimes against humanity, the experts remain largely silent — and consistently turn their fire on the State of Israel. As the Islamic Republic of Iran continues its violent suppression of its citizens, a comprehensive UN Watch analysis shows that the UN Human Rights Council’s “special rapporteurs” — experts meant to serve as the world’s moral compass — have been strikingly mute in the face of Iranian abuses. The report reviews the work of 54 independent experts and finds troubling evidence of political bias and moral inconsistency.
Quoted in JNS, “Herzog Calls for End to ‘Shameful’ Sanctions Against Top Israelis,” January 21, 2026:
“Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian government to be represented at Davos this year,” the WEF tweeted. Earlier Monday, Geneva-based UN Watch threatened to file a criminal complaint with Swiss authorities against Araghchi if he attended the summit.
Featured in The Algemeiner, “Only 5 UN Experts Signed Statement Condemning Iran’s Violent Crackdown on Protesters, Watchdog Reveals,” January 16, 2026:
UN Watch, a Geneva-based NGO which monitors the UN, on Wednesday released a report highlighting that most of the UN’s so-called Special Procedures human rights experts — the independent monitors appointed to speak out on urgent abuses — have remained silent or failed to sign an official joint statement calling attention to Iran’s actions.
Quoted in Ynet News, “UN Chief Warns He May Refer Israel to World Court Over Actions Against UNRWA,” January 13, 2026:
UN Watch said the United Nations was repeatedly alerted to these affiliations but failed to act, raising concerns that donor funds were effectively financing extremism. “Governments believed they were funding peace and tolerance,” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said. “In reality, UNRWA classrooms were turned into incubators of terror.”
Featured in JNS, “Iranian Crackdown Met with Silence by UN Human-Rights Experts,” January 18, 2026:
Most U.N. human rights experts have not condemned the Iranian regime’s mass killing of protesters, a UN Watch report reveals. “The majority of U.N. human-rights experts—known officially as Special Procedures—have been mostly silent on the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown against civilian protests since Dec. 28, 2025,” the Geneva-based UN Watch said in a report on Jan. 14.
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post, “Israeli Women Honored at Chochmat Nashim’s Women of Iron Awards,” January 4, 2026:
The event, held at the Nefesh B’Nefesh campus in Jerusalem’s Cinema City complex, recognized 18 Israeli women whose courage, leadership, and compassion shaped their communities amid the many crises that have befallen the Jewish people since Oct. 7…Among other well-known personalities in attendance were Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.”
Quoted in J Forum, “‘The end of the blank check’ for the UN,” January 22, 2o26:
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, said the findings prove that many UN experts are not motivated by a genuine concern for human rights, but by political considerations. “When they remain silent on Tehran and cry hatred in the face of Jerusalem, they lose all legitimacy ,” Neuer said. “Their silence is tantamount to giving the ayatollahs the green light to continue hanging dissidents from cranes.”
Featured in Israel Hayom, “Report exposes UN silence on Iran While Repeatedly Targeting Israel,” January 18, 2026:
A new report by the watchdog group UN Watch lays exposes the double standard at the United Nations, showing how experts who routinely attack Israel have largely ignored the Islamist regime’s repression and support for terrorism in Iran. According to the report, even as the Iranian regime increased execution rate, most relevant UN experts failed to issue so much as a single condemnation.
Featured in IsraJ, “UN: A Report Highlights a Double Standard Between Iran and Israel,” January 18, 2026:
According to UN Watch, despite a marked increase in executions, increased persecution of minorities, particularly Baha’is, and brutal repression of women, the majority of relevant experts have not issued any official condemnation of Iran. The report cites, in particular, the case of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. While Baha’i homes have been destroyed in Iran and dozens of believers have been arrested solely because of their faith, he did not deem it necessary to issue any statement condemning the Iranian regime.
Featured in Lechaim, “A UN Watch Report Accused UN Agencies of Remaining Silent on Repression in Iran While Simultaneously Attacking Israel,” January 19, 2026:
A new report by UN Watch points to systematic double standards among UN Human Rights Council experts, who, according to the authors, actively and regularly criticize Israel while virtually ignoring the Iranian regime’s mass repressions, executions, and support for terrorism…Of the 87 special rapporteurs, only five supported or signed the official statement criticizing Iran, published on January 13, more than two weeks after the protests began and after a large-scale violent crackdown on the demonstrations. Beyond this document, reactions were limited to a few social media posts.
Quoted in JFeed, “Senior Iranian Diplomat Defects to Switzerland Amid Escalating Unrest in Tehran,” January 18, 2026:
The defection occurs against the backdrop of massive protests in Iran, dubbed the “Iran Revolution 2026” by activists, fueled by economic hardship, regime repression, and calls for democratic change. Observers, including UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, have described it as a sign that “the Islamic regime is crumbling from within.”
