Coronavirus may become an excuse for authorities in some countries to introduce repressive measures not related to a pandemic. This was stated by UN Secretary General António Guterres in his report (.pdf) published today on the organization’s website. According to the Secretary General, “the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency, but also something more. This is an economic crisis. This is a social crisis. And a human crisis that is rapidly turning into a crisis of human rights. ”
This situation, Antonio Guterres calls the largest international crisis in many decades. The pandemic revealed various problems in the community: the growth of xenophobic speech, racism, ethnic nationalism, populism, authoritarianism, attacks on vulnerable groups, and the violation of human rights. Against the background of all this, according to Mr. Guterres, in some countries repressive measures may be introduced that are not conditional on the requirements of the fight against coronavirus. “This is unacceptable. The best answer is one that is commensurate with the immediate threats and at the same time protects human rights and the rule of law, ”he said, adding that governments should, more than ever, work transparently, be accountable and respond quickly to problems. “And in everything that we do, let’s not forget: the virus is the threat, not the people,” the Secretary General emphasized. According to him, the virus threatens everyone, and human rights support everyone. And respecting human rights in these difficult times, “we will develop more effective and comprehensive solutions for emergency situations today and for recovery tomorrow.”
2.6 million cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the world, 183 thousand people died, 714 thousand recovered
About how the Council of Europe Commissioner condemned the excesses of the authorities in the fight against disinformation about COVID-19 in a number of countries, read the article “Kommersant” Exceeding the fake defense “.
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