Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) and FORUM-ASIA welcome the Secretary-General’s report on reprisals against those who cooperate with UN human rights mechanisms. The prolonged judicial harassment and detention of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez by Indian authorities on trumped up terrorism charges related to his engagement with the UN demonstrates the high price many Asian defenders pay to seek accountability through the UN for all too frequent human rights violations across a region where no other avenues for accountability exist. His detention and the ongoing harassment of members of his organization Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) show the lengths India is willing to go to prevent their engagement with the UN.

The fact that many states that repeatedly commit atrocious acts of reprisals continue to remain members of this Council is a stain on its credibility. The UN, the Council and Member States must do more to hold perpetrators of reprisals to account in order to ensure its legitimacy and effectiveness.