UN official ‘alarmed’ at targeting of rights defenders by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory

GENEVA (AA) – The acting UN Human Rights chief has said that she is “alarmed” by the targeting of rights defenders by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Nada Al-Nashi opened the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, which runs from September 12 to October 7.

“I am alarmed by the targeting of human rights defenders in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the apparently arbitrary closure orders of seven Palestinian human rights and humanitarian organizations in Ramallah on 18th August,” she said.

Al-Nashi said those rights defenders had faced threats of arrest for doing their work.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “remains concerned that Israel has not renewed the visas for OHCHR international staff in our Palestine office, further restricting human rights engagement in the occupied Palestinian territory,” said the UN official.

She also said that in Russia, there is intimidation, restrictive measures, and sanctions against people voicing opposition to the war in Ukraine.

This undermines “the exercise of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental freedoms, including the rights to free assembly, expression, and association,” Al-Nashi said.

“Pressure against journalists, blocking of internet resources, and other forms of censorship are incompatible with media pluralism and violate the right to access information,” she added.

The UN rights official urged Russia to reconsider measures taken to expand the “foreign agent” label to include individuals considered to be “under foreign influence.”