UN admits internet conference panel was edited after Saudi complaint

United Nations officials have admitted that the recording of a panel discussion involving human rights organizations at a conference in Riyadh was edited following a complaint from the Saudi government. This incident has raised questions about the independence of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and concerns about Saudi Arabia's human rights record, potentially undermining the forum's credibility and impartiality.

Human Rights Watch accused the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) on Thursday of censoring critical remarks made by Saudi activist Lina Alhathloul at the IGF conference held in the Saudi capital last December. Alhathloul's speech addressed human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, possibly touching on sensitive nerves within the Saudi government, leading to the subsequent censorship.

In response to questions about whether the IGF acted at the instigation of Saudi Arabia, an IGF spokesperson told Middle East Eye that they "received a request from the host country regarding an alleged breach of its code of conduct." The spokesperson stated that it is standard procedure for the host to "raise concerns about compliance with rules agreed to by all participants." The secretariat, in this case, impartially reviews these concerns, engages with relevant parties, and seeks solutions that align with the IGF's commitment to multi-stakeholder dialogue.

Alhathloul is the Head of Advocacy at Alqst, a UK-based organization campaigning for human rights in Saudi Arabia. Due to concerns for her safety, she spoke remotely at the panel event co-hosted by Human Rights Watch and Alqst. Last month, the IGF released an edited version of the panel on YouTube, in which a significant portion of Alhathloul's comments, as well as a moment of silence for human rights defenders punished for expressing themselves online (including some imprisoned in Saudi Arabia), were removed. In its place was a note stating that the content had been removed for violating the IGF's code of conduct, specifically a section requiring participants to focus their remarks on issues rather than "individuals, groups, organizations, or governments" and to avoid personal attacks.

Human Rights Watch also stated that UN officials told Joey Shea, a Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch who coordinated the panel, that the Saudi government had lodged a complaint and requested that the UN revoke her accreditation for the conference. The officials cited a Human Rights Watch video referencing the case of imprisoned retired Saudi Arabian teacher Mohammed al-Ghamdi "as the basis of the host country’s complaint," and stated that Shea naming specific human rights defenders at the panel session may constitute a violation of the code of conduct. Human Rights Watch said that UN officials told Shea they would discuss whether to revoke her accreditation badge with UN headquarters in New York, but her badge was ultimately not revoked.

Human Rights Watch stated that Shea's mention of specific detained human rights activists did not constitute a "personal attack," and that she did not mention which governments had imprisoned these activists. The UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) said on Friday that it had "responded" to violations of its code of conduct by talking "with relevant civil society organization representatives and reaching a mutually agreed solution." A spokesperson stated: "No form of retaliation took place. The actions taken by the Secretariat were to uphold the spirit of the rules, which is to promote democratic, multi-stakeholder discussion."

The spokesperson also stated that the IGF remains "committed to creating a forum where a diversity of views, including those of civil society organizations, are respected and heard." "The presence and active participation of human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, who made their first appearance at a major meeting venue in Saudi Arabia, reflects the IGF's broad commitment to these values," suggesting a continued effort to foster open dialogue despite the controversy.