THE RAPPORT — 10 November to 23 November 2025

THE RAPPORT is the only newsletter devoted to briefing human rights practitioners on the communications of the UN Special Procedures. It is written by our Principal, Kate McInnes, and is published on Sundays on a biweekly basis. To subscribe and read the full newsletter, visit https://therapport.substack.com/.

Americas

• The alleged break-in at the home of human rights defender Ms. Dora Roblero, and the assault against her brother, Mr. Hidilberto Roblero García, appear to have been carried out with the aim of intimidating human rights defenders in Mexico in relation to their “peaceful and legitimate human rights defence activities in the state of Chiapas,” say the Special Rapporteurs on human rights defenders, executions, and freedom of assembly. (MEX 12/2025)

• The negative human rights consequences caused by the construction and operation of an ammonia plant in the municipality of Ahome, Sinaloa, Mexico, and in particular the disproportionate impact on Indigenous Peoples, implicate a number of companies, including those domiciled in Switzerland and Germany, say 11 Special Rapporteurs. (CHE 4/2025, OTH 104/2025, MEX 9/2025, OTH 102/2025, DEU 5/2025, OTH 103/2025)

Africa

• The repeated application of national security and counter-terrorism related charges against 15 persons accused of association with a terrorist organisation in Egypt constitutes a denial of due process and fair trial rights, including the prohibition against “double jeopardy,” in apparent violation of the country’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, say the Working Groups on arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances and the Special Rapporteurs on counter-terrorism, freedom of opinion, freedom of association, health, independence of judges and lawyers, and torture. (EGY 5/2025)

• Ministerial decrees in Niger dissolving five judicial trade unions, and the dismissal of two magistrates, appear “to be unfounded in fact and law” and, if confirmed, would constitute a serious infringement on the guarantees of judicial independence, say the Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers and freedom of assembly. (NER 3/2025)

• Large-scale, systematic assaults on civilian populations in Sudan in the context of the country’s ongoing conflicts — including targeting on ethnic groups, the killing of children, and sexual violence — “constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution,” say the Working Groups on enforced disappearances and discrimination against women and girls and the Special Rapporteurs on internally displaced persons, execution, racism, counter-terrorism, torture, and violence against women and girls. (SDN 3/2025, OTH 114/2025)

Asia

• The Royal Thai Air Force’s recent engagements with the Myanmar Air Force, apparently aimed at developing a knowledge-sharing arrangement, run contrary to the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar’s previous calls on states to “avoid actions or statements that could suggest the junta’s legitimacy or international acceptance and to take steps to diplomatically isolate the junta,” says the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar. (THA 9/2025)

• The Waqf Amendment Act, which alters the way Islamic charitable endowments are established, managed, and protected in India, introduces “heightened state control and reduced autonomy” over Islamic institutions which would appear to contravene obligations under international human rights law, particularly as it pertains to the freedom of religion or belief, say the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of religion and minority issues. (IND 9/2025)

• New counter-terrorism measures authorising preventive detention at the federal and provincial levels in Pakistan risk violating, among others, international human rights law prohibitions on arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, as well as minority rights and non-discrimination, say the Working Groups on arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances and the Special Rapporteurs on counter-terrorism, freedom of opinion, freedom of assembly, human rights defenders, and minority issues. (PAK 12/2025)

• Aspects of Indonesia’s 2025 Draft Criminal Procedure Code — which provides, inter alia, for arrests to be carried out without a clear time limit under certain conditions — may be at odds with the prohibition against arbitrary detention and the right to a fair trial, say the Working Group on enforced disappearances and the Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers, disabilities, freedom of assembly, human rights defenders, and privacy. (IDN 9/2025)

Europe

• The United Kingdom’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization has resulted in “unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and the rights to take part in public affairs and to liberty,” as evidenced by mass arrests and criminal charges in relation to alleged support for Palestine Action since its proscription, say the Special Rapporteurs on Palestine, counter-terrorism, freedom of opinion, freedom of assembly, and democratic international order. (GBR 13/2025)

• The arbitrary detention and sexual torture of Magomed Magomedov, a Dagestani resident arrested on suspicion of illegal firearms manufacturing, “fits a broader pattern of the systematic use of torture in Russia, where law enforcement authorities use brutal methods to extract confessions during initial detention, designed not just to punish but also to humiliate and inflict lasting injuries, both psychological and physical,” says the Special Rapporteur on Russia. (RUS 6/2025)

• The alleged arbitrary detention of three Ukrainian men — Mr. Damian Omelyanenko, Mr. Sergiy Tsyhipa, and Mr. Konstantin Zinovkin — by Russian armed forces in 2022 and 2023, and their continued enforced disappearance, torture, forcible transfer within Russian-occupied territories and eventual deportation to Russia, exemplify Russia’s pattern of rights abuses against Ukrainians during the ongoing conflict, says the Special Rapporteur on Russia. (RUS 12/2024)

• The deaths in custody of Andrei Kotov and Viskhan Tazurkaev, charged with “extremism” for their involvement in the international LGBT movement, “fit a broader pattern of systematic repressions of LGBT persons in Russia, including grave human rights violations such as arbitrary detention, torture and death in custody,” says the Special Rapporteur on Russia. (RUS 5/2025)

• Public statements by Greek government officials targeting human rights organisations working in the field of migration “amount to an attack on the legitimate work of these organisations in defence of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers” are were “designed to intimidate them and delegitimise their human rights work in the eyes of the public,” say the Special Rapporteurs on human rights defenders, freedom of assembly, and migrants. (GRC 2/2025)

• Media attacks against lawyer Veselin Radulović, reportedly for his work as a lawyer representing police officers suspended during Montenegro’s “vetting” process against organised crime within the state apparatus, and against Ms. Tea Gorjanc Prelević, for publicly defending his work as a lawyer in this case, undermine the independence of the bar and conflict with the Human Rights Committee’s finding that states have a duty to put in place effective measures to protect against attacks aimed at silencing those exercising their right to freedom of expression,” say the Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers, freedom of opinion, and human rights defenders. (MNE 2/2025)

• The enforced disappearance since 2022 of Mr. Mikalai Statkevich, a prominent opposition politician in Belarus, constitutes a host of international human rights violations, including torture and the weaponization of loosely defined terrorism and extremism laws, say the Working Groups on arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances and the Special Rapporteurs on Belarus, older persons, and counter-terrorism. (BLR 8/2025)

• France’s proposed dissolution of the Collectif Urgence Palestine, pursuant to paragraphs 1, 6, and 7 of Article L.212-1 of the Internal Security Code, would constitute a restriction on rights that is “neither necessary nor proportionate” and “risk of violating the right to reputation posed by the unjustified stigmatization of individuals labeled as terrorists,” say the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of assembly, freedom of opinion, human rights defenders, international order, and terrorism. (FRA 10/2025)

• Switzerland’s denial to issue a travel visa to Mr. Amangeldy Shormanbayev, a human rights defender who sought to participate in the review of Kazakhstan’s report by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in June 2025, appears to have resulted from interference by Kazakhstan in the Swiss visa issuance process, say the Special Rapporteurs on human rights defenders and freedom of opinion. (CHE 6/2025)

• The Latvian Parliament’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention “would have serious implications, not only for the safety and rights of women and girls in Latvia, but for Latvia’s international human rights obligations and international and regional leadership and commitments and obligations under international and regional human rights law,” say the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. (LVA 1/2025)