climate of fear surrounding witnesses and civil society
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2023-068-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2023
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 26.3351
Longitude: 17.228331
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Libya
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- UN Human Rights Council: UN Independent Investigation
- Dates of prior UN action
- March 2023
- Type of record
- General situation addressed
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
witnesses and civil society, groups and individuals, human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, journalists and civil society associations
- 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
potential engagement with the FFM
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Human Rights Council: UN Independent Investigation
- Type of attempted engagement
- Unclear
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- Libya
- Reprisal information
- In March 2023, in its final report to the Human Rights Council, the Independent Fact- Finding Mission on Libya reported that the climate of fear surrounding witnesses and civil society had frequently hampered the Mission’s engagements. Reportedly, there were instances when groups and individuals declined to meet with the Mission in particular locations, or at all, because of fear of reprisal. The Mission reported that attacks against, inter alia, human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, journalists and civil society associations created an atmosphere of fear that led to self-censorship, hiding or exile at a time when it is necessary to create an atmosphere that is conducive to free and fair elections. (A/HRC/52/83, paras. 24 and 68).
- Types of reprisals suffered
- 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
- 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
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Date added
3 relationships, 3 entities