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	Impact of counter-terrorism measures on Civil Society and Civic Space by Fionnuala Ni Aolain UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights   Human rights violations against civil society are directly linked to counter-terrorism practices and measures to counter violent extremism in every region across the world, a new global study by a UN expert has revealed.   “Civil society across the globe is suffering death by a thousand cuts, through the cumulative impacts posed by overlapping and intertwined practices, including vague and imprecise laws on counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism, physical, digital, and judicial harassment, and administrative measures like sanctions and dissolutions, reprisals and intimidation,” said Fionnuala Ni Aolain, the UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights.   The UN expert launched the Global Study on the Impact of Counter-Terrorism Measures on Civil Society and Civic Space on the sidelines of the Third United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States today.   “The Study documents restrictions and human rights violations against civil society that are directly linked to the regulatory and institutional practices of counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism, in every region across the world,” Ni Aolain said.   The Study brings together rich reporting across UN Special Procedures, the Human Rights Committee, and other treaty body mechanisms to demonstrate the significant documentation of counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) misuse and related human rights abuses over the last 20 years. It builds on this data from the ground-up, collecting data through a civil society engaged and led process.   Ni Aolain’s Study found “unrelenting misuse and abuse of counter-terrorism and P/CVE against civil society, as well as discrete instances of good practice mainstreaming human rights and meaningfully engaging with civil society.”   The Global Study urges consolidated action by Member States, the UN, private sector, and other stakeholders. “The UN and Member States have collective interests in maintaining the integrity of the UN Charter, and this Study provides both the evidence base to end the status quo, as well as concrete recommendations to remedy globally evidenced human rights deficits in approaches to counter-terrorism and P/ CVE,” the UN expert said.   “The individuals that took risks to provide evidence to this Study and who take risks every day for the dignity and humanity of others deserve recognition, support, protection, defense, and care,” Ni Aolain said.   “It is the particular obligation of the UN to be rock solid in its support to and defense of civil society. They deserve no less from us,” she said.   * Global Study on the Impact of Counter-Terrorism Measures on Civil Society and Civic Space: http://defendcivicspace.com/   * The Global Study was made possible through the support of Member State contributions to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, specifically the Government of Germany and the Government of Spain. The Study was further supported by the Friedrich Ebert-Stiftung Foundation (NY) and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. The Global Study was supported in all aspects by the Human Rights Center at the University of Minnesota Law School.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/06/un-expert-launches-global-study-documenting-misuse-counter-terrorism Visit the related web page
	Deaths in custody: A silent global tragedy that cannot go on by Morris Tidball-Binz UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions   A UN expert has urged States to respect and protect the lives of all those deprived of liberty and step-up efforts to eradicate the scourge of deaths in custody.   “Tens of thousands of prisoners die every year around the world, although the exact numbers are unknown due to the prevailing inadequacies in recording, investigating and reliably reporting these deaths,” said Morris Tidball-Binz, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in his report to the Human Rights Council.   “Globally, victims often belong to the most economically and socially marginalised sectors of society, which helps to explain the invisibility of the phenomenon,” he said.   Focusing on the phenomenon of deaths in prisons, the report aims to make these deaths visible and help eradicate a largely preventable global tragedy. It sheds light on the global phenomenon of deaths in custody in the criminal justice system, from the moment of arrest, including pre-trial and post-conviction.   “States have a duty to respect and protect the fundamental right to life of those deprived of liberty,” Tidball-Binz said. “Most of these deaths should simply not happen.”   He made recommendations, based on international standards, best practices and concrete examples from different regions, for effective investigation and prevention of all deaths in custody, including reducing imprisonment, improving prison conditions, addressing the needs of vulnerable individuals and groups, reducing violence, and ensuring sound monitoring and accountability procedures, as well as reliable data collection and analysis on prisoner deaths to inform and guide interventions.   “States can – and must – drastically reduce the incidence of deaths in prisons and effectively prevent their occurrence through a number of practical and relatively inexpensive measures,” the expert said.   Tidball-Binz stressed that the rights of prison staff should also be respected, including the provision of adequate wages and working conditions. “States should ensure that competent management is in place and that prisons are well managed,” he said.   “Any death in custody is potentially unlawful,” Tidball-Binz said. “The duty to properly investigate all deaths in custody is not an option, but an obligation under international law.”   Investigations should be prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent, the expert said. Findings should inform the design and implementation of sound and evidence-based reparative and preventive measures and policies, the expert said.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/06/deaths-custody-un-expert-says-silent-global-tragedy-cannot-go http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-executions http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session53/list-reports Visit the related web page
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