On the sidelines of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, a high-level side event was held this Monday to present the findings of the final report of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders. Among the speakers was Togolese-Irish human rights defender Abdoul Aziz Goma, who shared his personal experience of imprisonment in Togo.
The event featured remarks by Mary Lawlor, who outlined key conclusions from her mandate, highlighting increasing reprisals, criminalisation, and threats faced by defenders worldwide.
Among the speakers was Togolese-Irish human rights defender Abdoul Aziz Goma, who shared his personal experience of imprisonment in Togo. “I was not detained for what I had done, but for what I represented — a human rights defender who refused to remain silent,” he told participants, stressing that international pressure played a decisive role in his release.
Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Anne Goedert, Permanent Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva, while closing remarks were given by Elenor Sanders, UK Human Rights Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva.
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Video: Abdoul Aziz Goma Addresses the UN on Repression in Togo
