Germany and North Macedonia: UN counter-terrorism expert’s visit to focus on repatriations

GENEVA (3 July 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, will conduct joint visits to Germany and North Macedonia from 3 to 12 July 2023. The visits will focus specifically on repatriations, prosecution, reintegration and rehabilitation of its nationals from North-East Syria.

The expert will meet Government representatives, members of the judiciary, law enforcement officials and policy specialists from both Germany and North Macedonia. Ní Aoláin will also visit detention centres to interview returnees suspected or convicted of terrorism-related activities and core crimes.

Her visit will identify good practices in the return, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign fighters, and women and children with alleged links to designated terrorist groups.

Ní Aoláin will share her preliminary observations during a press conference on 13 July 2023 in Geneva at 12h30 local time at the UN premises (Palais des Nations – Room B-128). The press conference will be in hybrid format and access will be strictly limited to journalists.

The Special Rapporteur will present a report of her findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in March 2024.

ENDS

Ms. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin was appointed as Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism by the United Nations Human Rights Council. She took up her functions on 1 August 2017. Ms. Ní Aoláin is concurrently Regents Professor and Robina Professor of Law, Public Policy and Society at the University of Minnesota Law School and Professor of Law at the Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her mandate covers all countries and has most recently been renewed by Human Rights Council resolution 49/10.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights country page: Germany and North Macedonia