Middle East war: UN’s Türk decries ‘severe restrictions’ on free speech

(UN News) From Iran to multiple nations in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, around 3,000 people have reportedly been arrested in the first month of the ongoing war across the region, sparking alarm over free speech restrictions and state repression. “Repression of civic space and freedom of expression has significantly deepened across the Middle East, compounding the already existing climate of fear unleashed by multiple conflicts and crises,” UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Wednesday. Iran accounts for the bulk of reported arrests, impacting nearly 2,350 people since the conflict began, according to Mr. Türk’s Office, OHCHR. Those apprehended face national security charges, “including terrorism, dissent, alleged espionage and ‘cooperation with the enemy’”. – Middle East war: UN’s Türk decries ‘severe restrictions’ on free speech | UN News