UN human rights and counter-terrorism expert on mission to Uzbekistan

During her visit, the independent human rights expert is scheduled to meet Government representatives, law enforcement officials, members of parliament, policy specialists and the Ombudsperson. She will also meet UN entities and other international organizations present in Uzbekistan. Ní Aoláin will also visit detention centres to interview people suspected or convicted of terrorism related activities and extremist crimes.

The visit of the human rights expert will also include a component on repatriations, including the identification of good practices in the return, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign fighters, and women and children with alleged links to ISIS.

The expert will share her preliminary observations with the media during a press conference on Tuesday, 7 December at 3 pm at the UN building (4 Shevchenko street). Copies of her end-of-mission statement and press release will be available in Uzbek, Russian and English.  Access to the press conference is limited to journalists.

The Special Rapporteur will present a comprehensive report with her findings and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2022.

ENDS

Ms. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, took up her functions on 1 August 2017. She is concurrently Regents Professor and Robina Professor of Law, Public Policy and Society at the University of Minnesota Law School and Professor of Law at the Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page - Uzbekistan

For more information and media requests, please contact Ms. Michelle Erazo (michelle.erazo@un.org /+41 79 444 4860).

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:

Jeremy Laurence – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org)