UN groups concerned over harassment of human-rights organisations

Three special rapporteurs of the United Nations expressed grave concern over the reported harassment of Maayer Daak and Odhikar -- two NGOs that keep track of human-rights records in Bangladesh.

In a joint letter on December 22, the UN working groups alleged that "a smear campaign has been launched aimed at playing down the authenticity of enforced disappearances and questioning the way humanitarian procedure of working groups is operated."

Aua Baldé, chair-rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and Mary Lawlor, special rapporteur on the situation of human-rights defenders, signed the letter sent to government.

"Several outlets have undertaken a smear campaign against the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances [WGEID] and Bangladesh-based human right organisation Odhikar," the letter reads. "[Certain] media reports refer to some individuals allegedly included erroneously in the UN "listing" of victims, and accuse the WGEID of conducting 'sloppy' work."

However, the working group has not published any report focusing exclusively on enforced disappearances in Bangladesh, nor has it published any list of individuals, due to the confidential nature of its individual case procedure, it said.

It further sought to know about the steps taken to protect members of Odhikar and Maayer Daak from acts of intimidation and harassment.