The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) carried out advocacy on behalf of human rights defenders at the 59^th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva which was held between 13 June to 08 July 2025.

The various activities were designed to get support from UN member states to help free detained human rights defenders and enhance the protection of public freedoms across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). They also highlighted the need to end impunity and enforce accountability across the region.

Resolutions

GCHR’s priority resolutions were the Civil Society and Safety of Journalists resolutions. Both were strong resolutions, but the objective of many CSOs (including GCHR) was to have “Transnational Repression” included.

Those states opposed to the resolution managed to keep the term out, but the substance was clearly included, and the safety of journalists included the term “extra territorial targeting”, which is slightly different, but shows progress. GCHR was one of many CSO advocating for this.

Side Events

On 20 June 2025, GCHR in co-operation with Amnesty International (AI), the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), organised a side event focused on Iraq and entitled, “The fragile human rights situation in Iraq: International mechanisms including the UN system must act now”.

The event which was moderated by Michael Khambatta, Geneva Representative of GCHR, included the following speakers: Nada Awad, Advocacy Officer of ISHR, Shams Al-Ashmawi, Deputy Director of IOHR, Razaw Salihym Researcher on Iraq at AI, and Khalid Ibrahim, Executive Director of GCHR.

The moderator and the speakers talked about the various violations happening in Iraq and called on Iraq to fulfill its international obligations in the field of human rights, in particular to respect the civil and human rights of all citizens of Iraq, including the protection of their right to peaceful demonstration throughout the country, in addition they called on authorities to conduct independent, impartial, thorough and prompt investigation into the targeted killing of human rights defenders and other activists during recent years since the start of the popular protests on 01 October 2029, with a view to disseminating the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards. Also, they called on the Iraqi government to ensure that all human rights defenders in Iraq, who carry out their legitimate work in defense of human rights, are able to operate without restrictions, including judicial harassment.

GCHR also supported a side event organised by the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) to shed light on the ongoing human rights crisis in Bahrain and the urgent need for meaningful reform, including by sending invitations to relevant member states.  

Statements at the HRC

On 18 June 2025, GCHR delivered a statement with ALQST for Human Rights at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, who delivered a report on the rights of families of victims of unlawful killings. GCHR noted that in Saudi Arabia, at that point, 152 individuals – including 96 for drug-related offences – had been executed in 2025. All executions in Saudi Arabia have been preceded by serious violations of fair trial rights and due process. As such, they are arbitrary and in clear violation of international law. Families are denied farewell visits and prior notice, often learning of executions only through the media. Authorities also regularly withhold victims’ bodies, depriving families of the right to mourn in accordance with their beliefs.

On 23 June 2025, GCHR delivered a statement at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, who delivered a report on the abuses of domestic workers, whom even when legally employed, often suffer extreme abuses by their employers within contexts where the legal framework allows for impunity. GCHR noted that there have been some changes by some countries in the region to increase labour standards and protection of domestic migrant workers, however these have only come after significant international pressure often linked to major international events. In each case careful reviews of the new laws have shown the changes to be less than advertised, either due to inadequate enforcement or other laws maintaining the power imbalance.

On 01 July, GCHR delivered a statement at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) adoption for Iran. GCHR noted that Iran had “noted” (rejected) all recommendations on adopting international legal instruments, limitations on the death penalty, the release of protesters and the vast majority of recommendations on freedoms of expression, assembly, or association.

GCHR and CIVICUS made a joint submission on Iran to the UPR in which we examine Iran’s fulfilment of the rights to freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly and unwarranted restrictions on human rights defenders since its previous UPR examination in November 2019.

On 02 July 2025, GCHR delivered a statement at the UPR adoption for Iraq. GCHR noted that while recommendation on legal instruments and the death penalty were refused, most recommendations on Freedoms for Expression, Association, and Assembly, were accepted. However, GCHR highlighted the fact that laws punishing criticism of the authorities or vague defamation laws were used to silence peaceful dissent.  

GCHR, IOHR, INSM for Digital Rights, FIDH, CIVICUS and Metro Center for Defending Journalists’ Rights made a joint submission to Iraq’s UPR regarding extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and targeted harassment of human rights defenders, as well as existing and proposed laws restricting the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and peaceful assembly, the misapplication of laws on defamation and insult, and the continued targeted harassment of journalists.