Published October 20,2024
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Protest crackdowns, banned marches, media staff in danger — a UN professional on Friday accused Western nations and Israel of freedom of speech violations within the yr because the Gaza struggle broke out.
“No conflict in recent times has threatened freedom of expression so seriously or so far beyond its borders than Gaza,” UN particular rapporteur Irene Khan informed reporters as she introduced her report, “Global threats to freedom of expression arising from the conflict in Gaza.”
The Bangladeshi human rights lawyer, who has been the particular rapporteur on the promotion and safety of the fitting to freedom of opinion and expression since 2020, notably cited crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests in Western democracies within the early months of the struggle.
On US college campuses, protests have been “harshly” repressed, she stated, alluding to using riot police to dislodge encampments.
In Europe, she famous that Germany had imposed a ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations final October, with some restrictions nonetheless in place on such protests in numerous Germans areas, however “never on any pro-Israeli” rallies.
“There have been all sorts of other restrictions also made in terms of slogans or scarves and so on,” she stated.
France tried the same blanket ban final yr however was stymied by courts, and now makes assessments on a case-by-case foundation, she stated, noting Belgium and Canada have related approaches.
She additionally pointed to “targeted assassinations of journalists” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“We all know the deliberate killing of a journalist is a war crime,” she stated, lamenting the “impunity” with which such deaths have been met within the current battle and years prior.
The killing of journalists, destruction of press services, denying entry to worldwide media, banning Al Jazeera, and different actions by Israel, “seem to indicate the strategy of the Israeli authorities to silence critical journalism and obstruct documentation of possible international crimes,” she stated.
Hamas sparked the struggle in Gaza by staging the deadliest-ever assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, ensuing within the deaths of 1,206 individuals, largely civilians, in line with an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
During the assault, militants took 251 hostages again into Gaza. Ninety-seven stay there, together with 34 who Israeli officers say are useless.
Israel’s marketing campaign to crush Hamas and produce again the hostages has killed 42,500 individuals in Gaza, the bulk civilians, in line with information from the well being ministry within the Hamas-run territory, figures which the UN considers dependable.
Source: www.anews.com.tr