According to Volker Türk, this measure constitutes a restriction of freedom of expression and the right to seek, receive and impart information.
The High Commissioner continues to condemn violence in the South Asian country over the protests and calls on students and local authorities to show restraint, following reports of dozens of deaths and injuries.
Paramilitary units
“I am also deeply concerned about reports of the use of paramilitary police units such as the Bangladesh Border Guard and the Rapid Action Battalion, which have long been guilty of violations,” Mr. Türk said.
He called on the government to take appropriate measures to protect the protesting students and guarantee their right to freedom of assembly and expression without fear of repression.
“Bangladesh’s political leaders must work together with the country’s young people to find solutions to the ongoing challenges and focus on the country’s growth and development,” he said. “Dialogue is the best and only way forward.”
UN condemns conviction of American journalist held in Russia
OHCHR said on Friday that the conviction of American journalist Evan Gershkovich for espionage by a Russian court raises concerns about the right to freedom of expression as a journalist.
The Wall Street Journal correspondent was arrested in Russia in 2023 and has been in prison there ever since. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security penal colony.
Russia’s obligations
“Journalists must be able to perform their core professional functions and work in a safe environment, without fear of reprisals, in accordance with Russia’s international human rights obligations,” deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at the daily news conference in New York.
He noted that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions had described the journalist’s arrest as arbitrary.
“Of course we call for the release of all journalists in Russia who are being held solely for doing their job,” Mr Haq said.
Afghanistan: More aid urgently needed after series of disasters
UN relief teams and partners continued to mobilize in Afghanistan on Friday after devastating storms and floods battered central and eastern areas, killing dozens of people and destroying hundreds of homes.
In an update, UN Refugee Agency (UN refugee agency) noted that the latest emergency followed floods in May, which left nearly 700 dead and caused extensive damage.
UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said humanitarian teams were working in the worst-affected provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar, regions with high numbers of vulnerable displaced people and returnees.
Mr Baloch said this week’s floods have killed at least 40 people, injured more than 340 and displaced thousands more.
Wide damage
“Many roads, bridges, homes and public buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Unfortunately, the numbers are expected to rise as more areas become accessible to rescue and assessment teams.”
So far, six emergency teams have been deployed, but many areas remain inaccessible, hampering relief efforts, Mr Baloch said.
Emergency supplies have been stockpiled and are ready for distribution in Afghanistan, but the UNHCR warned that the country is still facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with nearly 24 million people in need of assistance this year.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 145,000 people have been affected by disasters in 33 of the 34 provinces, the UN agency said, pointing to significant funding gaps.
In total, UNHCR needs more than US$200 million for its activities this year, of which only 44 percent has been funded so far.
UN officials urge decriminalization of anti-LGBTIQ+ laws
A joint statement from two senior UN officials released on Friday highlights the damaging impact of laws that criminalize consensual sexual acts by members of the LGBTIQ+ community, saying such legislation costs lives and violates fundamental human rights.
The two officials – Volker Türk of the OHCHR and Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – said such laws “should be consigned to history” and noted that many countries are starting to do this.
“The Supreme Court for the Eastern Caribbean has stated clearly: ‘The criminalization of same-sex sexual expression between consenting adults is inherently intrusive and thus violates the right to liberty and personal privacy,’” the judges said.
HIV factor
Mr Türk and Ms Byanyima said the criminalisation policy against LGBTIQ+ people creates “justified fear” among members who both need and provide healthcare.
They further noted that countries with such laws have lower provision and use of HIV prevention services and HIV care and treatment services.
“Countries that criminalize the virus have significantly lower rates of both knowledge of HIV status and HIV suppression among all people living with HIV,” the statement said.
The joint statement by Mr Turk and Ms Byanyima said that the steady progress in decriminalizing laws targeting the LGBTIQ+ community must continue as this is crucial for human rights and health protection.
“Anti-rights policies, proposals and propaganda must be combated head-on,” they said. “Together we call on all countries to abolish all criminal laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.”
