Egypt: Focus - Reprisals Continue in the Arab World As Civil Society Space Shrinks

press release

On 14 May 2015, Alkarama has provided the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Ban Ki-moon with a report on the state of reprisals in the Arab world and in particular on individuals who have suffered from harassment and intimidation for their cooperation with the UN, especially in Oman, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Despite repeated calls to end reprisals, Arab States continue to relentlessly attack all Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) cooperating with the UN and systematically seek to undermine the work of UN experts and Special Rapporteurs, leaving a shrinking civil society space behind them.

In 2009, concerned with "the continued reports of intimidation and reprisals against individuals and groups who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations" and "the fact that victims suffer violations of their human rights, including the rights to life, liberty and security of the person, as well as the right to freedom from torture," the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted Resolution 12/2 inviting the UNSG to annually report on alleged reprisals against HRDs, and in particular persons who seek cooperate with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms, as well as relatives of victims of human rights violations and all those who have provided assistance to victims.

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