Irene Khan, an independent human rights expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, gave this information in a warning while talking to reporters in New York on Friday.
Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to promote and protect freedom of expression, said, “Rarely have we seen such widespread practice of illegal, discriminatory and disproportionate restrictions on freedom of expression by countries and private parties – and that disturbs me.”
Irene Khan also briefed reporters at UN headquarters about her latest report, which she presented to the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
The report documents serious violations of freedom of expression as a result of the war in Gaza, including the killing of journalists in Gaza, the suppression of protests around the world, and the silencing of artists and scholars.
Ban on media
Irene Khan drew attention to serious attacks on media in Gaza as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
He condemned the targeted killing and arbitrary detention of journalists, the widespread destruction of press facilities and equipment in Gaza, the denial of international media access, the ban on the Al Jazeera news channel, and the ongoing repression by Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Restrictions are indicated to be tightened further.
The moves, he said, “reveal the strategy of the Israeli authorities to silence critical journalism and prevent the development of a record of potential international crimes.”
He said, “While the deliberate killing of a journalist is a war crime, there has never been a proper investigation into the killing of any journalist in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory, and even in the last year, has anyone been prosecuted or punished?”
He said, “There is an atmosphere of complete impunity.
Protests and Palestinian symbols are prohibited
Their report also highlights discrimination and double standards that limit freedom of expression in support of Palestinian rights and suppress protests against the genocide in Gaza.
Irene Khan said that many European countries have imposed restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests, including some outright bans, and that protests held on university campuses in the United States as early as 2024 were severely suppressed.
Palestinian national symbols such as the flag or kaffiyah, as well as some slogans, are prohibited from being displayed in public, and in some countries their display is considered a crime.
He noted that such grossly discriminatory restrictions are inherently incompatible with international human rights because they do not meet the criteria of necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination.
“This failure to respect international standards is a matter of global concern as this situation sends a message around the world that freedom of speech can be suppressed at will or for political gain,” said Irene Khan.
Suppressing the voices of artists and academics
Irene Khan reports that as the war continued, dissenting voices in academia and the arts were silenced.
He said that “some of the world’s best educational institutions have failed to ensure equal protection for all members of their academic community, whether they are Jewish, Palestinian, Israeli, Arab, Muslim or from other countries.”
As a result, intellectual exchange has diminished and artistic freedom has been limited in many Western institutions.
“I have received complaints from scholars that their academic research or political policy studies related to the Palestinian situation or Israeli policy are being negatively affected,” he said.
Meanwhile, artists and writers have been intimidated, isolated or excluded from events because they have expressed their views on the Gaza war or criticized Israel – or not criticized Israel at all.
Differences visible through social media
The report also examines social media platforms, which are a lifeline of communication and connection to and from Gaza, but have also been the “main vehicle” for misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.
He said that while Arabs, Jews, Israelis and Palestinians are all targeted in online forums, “as far as I can see, most companies have shown a bias in their responses… They have been more liberal about Israel.” More restrictions on Palestinian expression.”
Hate Speech vs. Protected Language
Irene Khan also presents a position on how international legal standards are being distorted to conflate criticism of Israel and Zionist fundamentalism with anti-Semitism, and this is happening in both offline and online contexts.
Irene Khan admits that it is a controversial issue “but I stand by my stand on this issue”.
He explained that anti-Semitism is racial discrimination, that is, it is the worst form of racial and religious hatred against Jews and should be unequivocally condemned.
“But mixing protected language, such as political criticism, with prohibited language, such as hate speech, weakens the fight against anti-Semitism, and it also undermines the importance of freedom of expression,” he said.
Special Correspondent
Special rapporteurs like Irene Khan are part of the Geneva-based Special Processes of the Human Rights Council, the largest body of independent experts on the UN human rights system.
The Council appoints them to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues.
These experts work on a voluntary basis; They are not employees of the United Nations and receive no salary from the United Nations for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and act in their personal capacity.