World News In Brief: UN rights chief on Bangladesh protests, alarm over Gershkovich sentence, Afghanistan floods latest, decriminalising LGBT laws

Volker Türk said the move constituted a restriction on freedom of expression and the right to seek, receive, and impart information.

The High Commissioner continues to condemn violence in the South Asian country amid protests and is encouraging students and local authorities to exercise restraint, following reports of dozens of deaths and injuries.

Paramilitary units

“I am also very worried by reports about the deployment of paramilitary police units such as the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Rapid Action Battalion, which have long track records of violations,” Mr. Türk said.

He called on the Government to take appropriate action to protect student protesters and ensure their right to freedom of assembly and expression without fear of repression.

“Bangladesh’s political leaders must work with the country’s young population to find solutions to the ongoing challenges and focus on the country’s growth and development,” he said. “Dialogue is the best and only way forward.”

UN condemns sentencing of US journalist held in Russia

OHCHR on Friday said the sentencing of American journalist Evan Gershkovich on spying charges in a Russian court, raises concerns over the right to freedom of expression as a journalist.

The Wall Street Journal correspondent was arrested in Russia in 2023 and has been held there since. He was sentenced to serve 16 years in a high-security penal colony.

Russia’s obligations

“Journalists should be able to perform their central professional functions and work in a safe environment without fear of reprisals, in line with Russia’s international human rights obligations,” said Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, at the daily press briefing in New York.

He noted that the journalist’s detention had been declared as arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions.

“Of course, we call for the release of all journalists in Russia who are detained solely for doing their jobs,” Mr. Haq said.

Afghanistan: More help desperately needed following string of disasters

UN aid teams and partners continued to mobilize on Friday in Afghanistan after devastating storms and flash floods tore across central and eastern areas, leaving dozens dead and hundreds of homes destroyed.

In an update, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) noted that the latest emergency followed flash floods in May, that caused nearly 700 casualties and massive damage.

UNHCR Spokesperson Babar Baloch said that humanitarian teams were at work in the hardest-hit provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar. These are the regions with high numbers of vulnerable displaced people and refugee returnees.

Mr. Baloch said that at least 40 people had been killed by this week’s flooding, with more than 340 injured and thousands more displaced.

Widespread damage

“Many roads, bridges, homes and public buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Sadly, it is expected that figures will rise when more areas become accessible to rescue and assessment teams.”

Six emergency teams have been deployed so far but many areas remain inaccessible, hindering relief efforts, Mr. Baloch said.

Some emergency supplies have been prepositioned and are ready for distribution in Afghanistan, but UNHCR warned that the country continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with nearly 24 million people in need of aid this year.

Since the year began, disasters have affected over 145,000 people across 33 out of 34 provinces, the UN agency said, highlighting significant funding shortfalls.

In total, UNHCR needs more than $200 million for its operations this year which are only 44 per cent funded to date.

UN officials urge decriminalisation of anti-LGBTIQ+ laws

A joint statement from two top UN officials released on Friday highlights the harmful impact of laws which criminalise consenting sexual acts by members of the LGBTIQ+ community, stating that such legislation cost lives and infringes basic human rights.

The two officials – OHCHR’s Volker Türk and Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – said that such laws should be “consigned to history” and noted that many countries are starting to do so.

“The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court put it clearly: ‘The criminalization of same-sex sexual expression between consenting adults is intrusive by its very nature and thereby offends the right to liberty and personal privacy,’” they said.

HIV factor

Mr. Türk and Ms. Byanyima said criminalisation policies against LGBTIQ+ people create “justified fear” among members who both need and provide health services.

Further, they noted that countries with such laws have lower provision and use of HIV prevention services and HIV care and treatment services.

“Criminalizing countries have significantly lower rates of both knowledge of HIV status and HIV viral suppression among all people living with HIV,” the statement said.”

Mr. Turk’s and Ms. Byanyima’s joint statement said the steady progress in decriminalising laws aimed at the LGBTIQ+ community needs to continue as it is crucial to human rights and health protection.

“Anti-rights policies, proposals and propaganda need to be challenged head-on,” they said. “Together, we call on all countries to remove all punitive laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.”