On Wednesday, the UN included India on a list of 38 countries categorised as ‘shameful’ for retaliating against human rights activists. The list, including Russia and China, condemns countries that have persecuted activists through killings, arbitrary detention and torture.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ annual report mentions targeting for human rights activists via surveillance, criminalisation and public stigmatisation campaigns.
In his report, Guterres wrote, “The world owes it to those brave people standing up for human rights, who have responded to requests to provide information to and engage with the United Nations, to ensure their right to participate is respected, punishing individuals for cooperating with the United Nations is a shameful practice that everyone must do more to stamp out,” reported The Wire.
The UN report said the the human rights defenders were targeted by governments frequently with charges such as terrorism, harming the state’s reputation and co-operation with foreign organisations.
The report further said, “(There is a) disturbing trend in the use of national security arguments and counter-terrorism strategies by states as justification for blocking access by communities and civil society organisations to the United Nations.”
Women activists working with UN have also reported that they get rape threats and are targeted by online smear campaigns. Many of them are too afraid to speak because of such threats, even at the UN headquarters in New York and Geneva.
Andrew Gilmour, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, stated that such cases were only ‘the tip of the iceberg’. Gilmour will present the report to the Human Rights council next week.
He said, “We are also increasingly seeing legal, political and administrative hurdles used to intimidate – and silence – civil society.”
Recently in India, several prominent human rights activist and intellectuals were arrested and charged under the draconian UAPA for alleged ‘maoist’ links. The arrests were labelled an attack to silent dissent against the Narendra Modi led BJP government, and drew condemnation by all sections of the national as well as international intelligentsia.
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