A/HRC/60/62
123. According to information received by OHCHR, in two different incidents, two
women human rights defenders who publicly cooperated with the United Nations faced
intimidation and reprisals, following their respective engagements with the United Nations.
Both reported fear of reprisals against family members. One of them reportedly limited her
public engagement and visibility to mitigate risks.
124. In a different case, an organization actively advocating for women’s rights in the
context of the ongoing conflict was reportedly subjected to online harassment and
surveillance following its public intervention at a high-level United Nations meeting. These
acts of reprisals were allegedly carried out both by both State and non-State actors.
125. In a separate case, a woman human rights defender advocating for the rights of
survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence in
Sudan, declined invitations to participate in a United Nations public forum on three
consecutive occasions. Her decision was reportedly based on fear of reprisals against herself
and her team should she engage publicly with the United Nations. There are serious concerns
that public engagement, including with the United Nations, on alleged violations of
international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed by parties to
the conflict in Sudan, could lead to accusations of collaboration by each of the parties to the
conflict. Such accusations have resulted in serious human rights violations and abuses as
documented by OHCHR during the reporting period, including arbitrary detention, torture,
and ill-treatment as well as extrajudicial killings.46
21.
Thailand
126. During the reporting period, OHCHR received two allegations of reprisals for
cooperation with the United Nations.
127. In the first instance, according to information received by OHCHR, woman human
rights defender Ms. Pimsiri Petchnamrob is banned from traveling outside Thailand,
allegedly to prevent her from her international advocacy on human rights, including her
participation in the Human Rights Council.
128. Ms. Petchnamrob has not been able to travel abroad since 25 November 2021, after
being charged with ten criminal offences and released on bail the same day under several
conditions, including a restriction on international travel without prior court approval.
Ms. Petchnamrob faced 10 different criminal charges, including lèse-majesté and sedition
under Section 112 and 116 of the Criminal Code. Her case is currently pending a decision in
court.
129. Ms. Petchnamrob’s charges and associated travel restrictions are reportedly connected
to a speech she delivered at a rally in November 2020, during which she cited the then Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression’s analysis of the lèse-majesté laws.47 This reference
was allegedly presented by the public prosecutor as one of the two principal grounds for the
charges brought against her.
130. Ms. Petchnamrob had previously delivered public statements to the Council in 2016
and 2018, 48 which reportedly drew the attention of the Thai authorities to her activism. In
August 2021, a confidential document labelled “Top Secret” was leaked by local media,
reporting that Thai immigration authorities were allegedly monitoring 183 individuals,
including Ms. Petchnamrob.
131. Due to her travel restrictions, on 13 February 2023 and again on 24 February2023
with additional information supporting her application, Ms. Petchnamrob applied for court
46
A/HRC/58/29, para 91; https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/countries/sudan/reportohchr-sudan-country-office-detention-facilities-khartoum.pdf; https://www.ohchr.org/en/pressreleases/2025/05/horrors-sudan-know-no-bounds-warns-turk-urging-end-conflict;
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-un-human-rights-chief-appalled-widespreadextrajudicial-killings.
47 Thailand: UN rights expert concerned by the continued use of lèse-majesté prosecutions | OHCHR.
48 https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2017/02/thailand-un-rights-expert-concerned-continued-uselese-majeste-prosecutions.
36