A/HRC/51/47 covering the protests and individuals who cooperate or attempt to cooperate with the United Nations human rights mechanisms”.21 9. Israel 35. During the reporting period, multiple UN actors addressed allegations of new restrictive measures and actions taken against human rights defenders and civil society actors engaged in documenting violations and advocating for accountability. This included the use of counter-terrorism legislation, military orders and online surveillance to halt, restrict or criminalize legitimate human rights and humanitarian work, including by United Nations partners.22 36. On 19 October 2021, the Israeli Minister of Defence designated six Palestinian human rights and humanitarian organizations, namely, the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (See Annex II), Al Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International – Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees as “terror[ist] organizations” under the Counter-Terrorism Law 5776 of 2016.23 On 3 November 2021, the Israeli Military Commander of the West Bank further declared five of the organizations as ‘unlawful’.24 37. On 25 October 2021, special procedures mandate holders publicly condemned the designations and noted that “at least for one of these organizations this decision may have been taken as a form of reprisal for cooperation with UN entities”.25 In her February 2022 report to the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized that “these organizations have worked for decades to promote human rights and provide critical humanitarian assistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and are key partners of the United Nations”.26 38. In its Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Israel adopted on 22 March 2022, the Human Rights Committee expressed its concern that “Counter-Terrorism Law 5776-2016 contains vague and overbroad definitions of ‘terrorist organization’ and ‘terrorist act’ and may be used to oppress and criminalize legitimate political or humanitarian acts, as illustrated by the designation, in October 2021, of six Palestinian civil society organization and terrorist organizations based on secret information.” (CCPR/C/ISR/CO/5 paras. 18 and 19). 39. In July 2021, the offices of Defense of Children International Palestine (DCIP) in Ramallah were allegedly raided (ISR 8/2021) as well as the offices of Bisan Center for Research and Development, and one staff in each of the NGOs – Addameer (See Annex II), Al-Haq and Bisan Center for Research and Development – were surveilled and had their phones hacked with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.27 (ISR 11/2021). 10. Kazakhstan 40. On 11 November 2021, the United Nations Committee against Torture addressed allegations of ill-treatment while in detention of Mr. Aleksandr Aleksandrov, user of a 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 24 A/RES/76/178. A/HRC/49/25 paras. 35, 40. See also https://www.ochaopt.org/content/un-agencies-and-associationinternational-development-agencies-stand-civil-society-organisations-occupied. A/HRC/49/25 para. 38 and A/HRC/49/83 para. 29. See also, https://nbctf.mod.gov.il/en/Pages/211021EN.aspx and Designation No. 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, on 19 October 2021 of the of the Minister of Defence in accordance with the Anti-Terrorism Law, 2016. The original decisions, on file with OHCHR, were changed on 19 November 2021. A/HRC/49/25 para. 36 and footnote 68. The Union of Agricultural Work Committees had previously been declared as “unlawful” in January 2020. UN experts condemn Israel’s designation of Palestinian human rights defenders as terrorist organisations | OHCHR. A/HRC/49/25 para. 36. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=26908.