UN and regional experts urge States to stop criminalizing civil society and protests

September 22, 2025

Washington, DC / Geneva—A group of UN and regional human rights experts* today urged States to halt the repressive and punitive criminalisation of those seeking to exercise their rights and freedoms, amidst growing existential threat to the values underpinning these rights. They issued a joint declaration (in English and Spanish) and the following statement:

"States must reaffirm their commitment to protect the rights of freedom of assembly and of association. They are essential for enabling collective action, participation, solidarity and dialogue which are fundamental for ensuring a resilient and inclusive democracy, and for the realisation of the UN Charter's aspiration to preserve peace and human rights for all.

We strongly condemned the widespread stigmatization of those legitimately exercising their rights and freedoms as "enemies", "traitors", "spies", "terrorists", "criminals" or similar.

We express alarm that, as a result of their non-violent activism and protected expressions thousands of human rights defenders and activists have been, and continue to be arbitrarily arrested and detained, given prolonged harsh criminal sentences without adequate due process or fair trial guarantees, and many are deported or threatened with deportation, forced into exile, subjected to unlawful economic sanctions, and to transnational repression, while scores of associations have been unlawfully dissolved and defunded.

Criminalization also triggers unlawful use of force. Many young people, today at the forefront for defending rights, demanding climate justice and end of genocide, are being killed and hundreds are criminalised for peacefully protesting.

Criminalization is part of a growing authoritarian practice, including in democratic regimes, where governments are seeking to control and manipulate public debate and spaces, to advance political agendas and other vested interests, through the exclusion and silencing of dissent and independent voices. Criminalization is further reinforced and exacerbated by the growing stigmatization of civic engagement and civil society, the growing militarisation and securitisation undermining fundamental freedoms, and stigmatisation of foreign aidrecipients, as well as by the arbitrary and unlawful use of surveillance technology, empowered with facial recognition and AI capabilities.

We urge States to refrain from treating peaceful protests and civil society seeking to engage in democratic debates and processes and rights protection – including through non-violent civil disobedience -– as a threat, enemies or criminals; and to ensure everyone's rights to peaceful assembly and association are protected and facilitated in accordance with international human rights law."

*The experts: Ms. Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Hon. Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and focal point on reprisals in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR); Mr. Pedro Vaca, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR); Ms Roberta Clarke, Commissioner Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders of the IACHR.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 192/25

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