A/HRC/54/61 Human Rights Council as part of its contribution to the mid-term Universal Periodic Review process. During the attack, the website of CIHRS was reportedly inaccessible to users in Egypt and, once access was restored, the CIHRS found out that it has been blocked by the authorities,34 in what was reported as an act of reprisals for their engagement in the UPR process.35 8. Djibouti 42. In March 2023, members of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), a civil society organization based in France, were denied entry and expelled from the country, respectively, in connection to an individual complaint that FIDH filed in 2017 before the United Nations Human Rights Committee against the State of Djibouti (CCPR/C/130/D/3593/2019). 43. According to information received by OHCHR, FIDH had organized a visit to Djibouti from 11 to 14 March 2023 that included meetings with the United Nations in country. The FIDH delegation was initially composed of three people: Mr. Alexis Deswaef, a Belgian citizen, FIDH Vice-president and former President of the Belgian Human Rights League; Mr. Zakaria Abdillahi, a Djiboutian citizen living in Djibouti and France, Vice President of FIDH and former President of the Djiboutian Human Rights League; and Ms. Victoire D’Humieres, a French citizen living in France and programme officer at FIDH Africa Department. 44. On 11 March 2023, Mr. Deswaef entered the country with no incident and was welcomed at the airport by Mr. Abdillahi. On 12 March 2023, Ms. D’Humieres was denied entry into Djibouti upon arrival at the airport despite having a valid entry visa. Without any reason provided, police officers reportedly forced Ms. D’Humieres to board a plane bound for Istanbul the same day. On 13 March 2023, Mr. Deswaef and Mr. Abdillahi visited the United Nations House as planned to raise several human rights concerns in relation to Djibouti. Following their meeting at the United Nations House, Mr. Deswaef’s phone and notes were confiscated by civilian police. Mr. Deswaef was arrested at his hotel, escorted to the airport, and expelled from the country. Reportedly, an unmarked car with an individual in law enforcement uniform and another in civilian clothes followed the FIDH delegation during the 48 hours of their stay in the country. 45. On 14 March 2023, the Interior Ministry issued a communiqué 36 stating that Mr. Deswaef had been expelled because the FIDH mission lacked neutrality, considering that on 17 November 2017 he had filed an individual complaint before the United Nations Human Rights Committee against the State of Djibouti. According to the communiqué, Mr. Deswaef went to Djibouti to “find out more about the question of human rights in Djibouti”. It further stated that while the State of Djibouti had always cooperated, and would continue to cooperate with United Nations human rights mechanisms, it deplored the actions of FIDH and the deployment of a lawyer who had sued the State of Djibouti before the United Nations Human Rights Committee. In the communiqué, the Government expressed concern at the lack of neutrality of the mission and requested FIDH to reconsider the choice of its emissary. 9. France 46. On 25 November 2022, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination sent a letter 37 to the Government on allegations of online libellous messages and threats, including from the Twitter accounts of two police professional unions, against Ms. Assa Traoré, following her cooperation with the Committee during the consideration of the 22nd 34 35 36 37 GE.23-15378 Egypt: CIHRS Website Blocked in Reprisal for Joint Report to UN Human Rights Council – Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS). Allegations of intimidation and reprisals against CIHRS and its members were included in previous reports of the Secretary-General, see A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, para. 50; A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, para. 49; A/HRC/48/28, Annex II, paras. 44–45. Communiqué n°227 du 14 mars 2023 du Ministère de l’Intérieur de la République de Djibouti. CERD Committee letter dated 25 November 2022. See also HRI/MC/2023/2, paras. 34–35. 27