‘COVID-19 pandemic being used to crush dissent, silence media’: UN chief Antonio Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday criticised countries for using coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to suppress dissent and control the media, reported AFP. Guterres was speaking at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council’s main annual session, where he asserted that governments in a number of nations were using restrictions meant to halt the spread of COVID-19 to weaken their political opposition.

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“Using the pandemic as a pretext, authorities in some countries have deployed heavy-handed security responses and emergency measures to crush dissent, criminalise basic freedoms, silence independent reporting and curtail the activities of non-governmental organisations,” he said without naming any authorities.

Guterres added, “Human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, political activists, and even medical professionals are being detained, prosecuted and subjected to intimidation and surveillance for criticising government pandemic responses.”

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The UN chief warned pandemic related restrictions are being used to subvert electoral processes in these nations.

However, he dedicated most part of his speech to the wide-ranging effects of the pandemic and pointed that hundreds of millions of families have seen their lives “turned upside down” due to job losses and rising debt.

Guterres highlighted, beyond the pandemic, there is a need for more action globally against systemic racism and ideas of white supremacy.