some civil society representatives who met with the High Commissioner

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2023-012-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2023
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 23.684994

Longitude: 90.356331

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Bangladesh
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • OHCHR: OHCHR - General
  • UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
Dates of prior UN action
August 2022
Type of record
Unnamed individual/group/organization
Gender
Gender unclear
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Type of rights defended
  • Unclear in SG Report
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

Meeting with the HCHR

Engagement with UN body
  • UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
Dates of engagement
August 2022
Type of attempted engagement
  • Meeting with UN officials during country visit / with locally present UN officials
Dates of mentioned reprisals
August 2022
Location of mentioned reprisals
Bangladesh
Reprisal information
  1. In August 2022, in the context of the visit to Bangladesh by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR documented acts of surveillance and intimidation of some civil society representatives who met with the High Commissioner. The High Commissioner and her Office addressed the incidents with the authorities. Names and details of those concerned are withheld due to fear of further reprisals.
  2. During the press conference upon the conclusion of her visit, the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that “United Nations human rights reports have documented a narrowing civic space, increased surveillance, intimidation and reprisals often leading to self- censorship. Laws and policies over-regulating NGOs and broadly restricting the freedom of expression make it difficult – and sometimes risky – for them to function effectively”.11
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Surveillance
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
Yes
Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
No
Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
Yes