A/HRC/60/62 who are members of the penitentiary establishment’s Disciplinary Council. On 15 January 2024, following a health emergency, Mr. Pérez Fonseca was denied medical assistance until 9 February 2024. Reportedly, Mr. Pérez Fonseca is persistently harassed by an official of the Ministry of the Interior, including through summonses to appear before authorities and interrogations under duress, without legal counsel present. Allegedly, the authorities have indicated that Mr. Pérez Fonseca will not be granted any penitentiary benefits, such as early release. 31. On 1 August 2025, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report, reaffirming its support for civil society’s engagement with United Nations human rights mechanisms and highlighting its vibrant civil society composed of a wide range of social movements and local networks. The Government noted with concern the inclusion in the report of allegations of intimidation and reprisals, mainly from developing countries, which it considered unverified, incomplete or misrepresented. It further observed that the continued disregard of responses from countries of the Global South is alarming. 32. With regard to Mr. Pérez Fonseca, the Government regretted the inclusion in the report of what it considered to be false allegations, It stated that these allegations had first been made by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in a manner it viewed as arbitrary. The Government further noted that the information reflected in the report was, in its assessment, unrelated to his alleged cooperation with the United Nations. It affirmed that Mr. Pérez Fonseca had not been subjected to any form of reprisals, including in connection with his cooperation with the UN, nor had he been detained, intimidated or harassed for the legitimate exercise of his human rights. The Government also rejected what it described as the instrumentalization of United Nations human rights mechanisms and requested additional time for Member States to submit their responses. 7. Democratic Republic of the Congo 33. During the reporting period, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) documented seven incidents of reprisals against male (2) and female (5) civil society actors, mostly human rights defenders, including three youth, for cooperation with the Mission, described below. Four incidents were attributed to the Movement du 23 Mars (M23), two to local armed groups, and one to State actors, in different locations in conflict-affected provinces of North Kivu and Ituri Provinces. Names and details of those concerned are withheld due to fear of further reprisals. 34. According to information received by OHCHR, the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) continued to be openly hostile15 towards human rights defenders and journalists whom they accused of reporting on M23’s activities, including to the United Nations. This public hostility worsened during the reporting period, when the M23 gained control of large territories, including Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities of the Eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, and publicly banned activities of civil society actors, human rights defenders and independent media in occupied areas and systematically targeted them. The number of reported cases of reprisals for cooperation with UNJHRO and other United Nations agencies in the affected areas during the period is believed to underrepresent the actual figures. Many victims fled or went into hiding before they could report allegations of human rights violations to the United Nations, and in some instances, UNJHRO could not secure their consent for fear of further reprisals. Cases in other provinces are also likely under-reported due to a lack of communication infrastructure hindering access to victims and reporting as well as to limited awareness of what constitutes reprisals, the importance of reporting them, and how to do so. 35. Specifically, since July 2024, the head of a human rights non-governmental organization (NGO) active in the promotion and protection of human rights, including child 15 22 https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2025/02/serious-human-rights-concerns-situationeastern-drc-deteriorates; https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/un-expert-expressesextreme-concern-safety-human-rights-defenders-eastern; https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-andspeeches/2025/02/hc.