Benelux statement on Reprisals, Item 5: General Debate

News item | 24-03-2025 | 09:22

Statement of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, delivered by H.E. Paul Bekkers, Permanent Representative, Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN in Geneva

President, 

I am honoured to deliver this statement on behalf of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

Human rights defenders do invaluable work in promoting human rights and democracy. We continuously rely on their expertise, and they should be protected when cooperating with the UN. 

We strongly condemn all forms of reprisals against individuals seeking to engage with the UN. 

Mr president, we welcome the Bureau’s pledge at the opening of this session to follow up on all allegations of reprisals. We also encourage you to bring to the attention of this Council serious and unresolved such cases. 

We continue to raise names of those who have been silenced: 

1.    Human rights defender Chow Hang-Tung from Hong Kong is arbitrarily detained for exercising her right to freedom of expression in advocating for democratic rights. We call for her immediate release. 
2.    Staff members of Human Rights Center Viasna, face arbitrary arrest and criminal charges in Belarus. We call for the charges to be dropped and those detained released immediately.
3.    Human rights lawyer Claudia González Orellana is persecuted and arbitrarily detained in Guatemala for her work with the International Commission against Impunity. We call for all charges and her house arrest, as alternative measure of detention, to be dropped.  
4.    Manouchehr Bakhtiyari from Iran, is arbitrarily detained for calling for justice for his son’s death, including in an open letter addressed to High Commissioner Türk. We call for his immediate release. 
5.    The passport of journalist and human rights defender Kadar Abdi from Djibouti, was confiscated after participating in this Council in 2018. A valid passport should immediately be provided to him. 
6.    Journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang, is arbitrarily detained for sharing reports with the UN on the human rights situation in Viet Nam. We call for her immediate release.

We call on all States to put an end to all forms of reprisals against human rights defenders.

Thank you.