Following extensive consultation with civil society organisations including IHRC, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, will release her latest report this Thursday on the global impact of the conflict in Gaza on freedom.

The report highlights attacks on journalists and media restrictions which endanger access to information about the conflict globally; suppression of protests and dissent and restrictions on legitimate advocacy for the rights of Palestinian people.

Since the genocidal attack by Israel on Gaza on 7 October 2023, the governments of United Kingdom, France and Germany in particular have engaged in an alarming campaign of repression against protests and dissent in support of Palestinians, with the targeting of activists, artists, protestors, political and civil organizations.

Bound by a common design, all these countries have adopted an identical approach in quelling pro-Palestine protest: exceptional Islamophobic and racist counter-terrorism powers; illegal bans; brutal harassment; arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders; censorship; harassment and electronic surveillance.

IHRC has been in constant dialogue with the Special Rapporteur over the last year, and we continue to submit information to her office on a continuing basis. To date we have drafted two detailed reports highlighting the most important cases and trends. They are available to read here and here:

The Authoritarian Drift of the European Democratic State: the Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Movements

The Authoritarian Drift of the European Democratic State: the Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Movements – Part 2

SR Title: Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
SR Name: Ms. Irene Khan
Title of the Report: Global threats to freedom of expression arising from the conflict in Gaza
Date of the presentation: Thursday 17 October in the afternoon
Venue: the 3rd Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York

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For more information or comment please contact the Press Office on (+44) 208 904 0222  or (+44) 7958 522196 or email media@ihrc.org