Human Lives Human Rights: On January 6, OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said: “We are gravely concerned by the trial of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski which started in Belarus on Thursday. Bialiatski faces up to 12 years in jail.”
He also said: “The release of political prisoners in Myanmar is not only a relief to those unfairly detained, but also their families. Importantly, however, we take this opportunity to call for the release of the thousands of others who remain in detention for opposing military rule.”
On January 10, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said: “Criminal proceedings and the death penalty are being weaponized by the Iranian Government to punish individuals participating in protests and to strike fear into the population so as to stamp out dissent, in violation of international human rights law.”
On January 11, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned: “New border enforcement measures recently announced by the US administration risk undermining the basic foundations of international human rights and refugee law.”
The UN Child Rights Committee (CRC) will hold its upcoming session from 16 January to 3 February, during which it will review Sweden, Mauritius, Oman, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Azerbaijan, Ireland and New Zealand.
On January 13, the spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights announced the beginning of the trial of 24 human rights defenders accused of helping to save migrants at sea in Greece. He also welcomed the Indonesian President’s regret for the occurrence of 12 historical incidents related to serious human rights violations.
