Geneva, 20 February 2026 — The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy coalition today called on the United Nations to take urgent action following threats by the Government of Zimbabwe against Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga, who addressed the Summit at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 17 February.
After Mr. Mhlanga testified about repression and restrictions on media freedom in Zimbabwe, the state-owned newspaper The Herald published a statement by Information Minister Zhemu Soda condemning his remarks as “malicious” and warning that Zimbabwe’s so-called “patriotic clauses” prohibit engagement with foreign entities in ways deemed harmful to the state.
In addition, Senator Sengezo Tshabangu publicly stated that he would pursue a parliamentary motion to cancel Mr. Mhlanga’s passport for alleged “unpatriotic conduct.”
“These are not abstract criticisms — they are threats of prosecution and restrictions on freedom of movement in retaliation for speaking at the United Nations,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, which leads the Geneva Summit coalition. “No journalist or human rights defender should face criminal charges or passport revocation for cooperating with the UN.”
The coalition has formally written a complaint letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres requesting that the case be examined under the UN’s reprisals framework, that the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights urgently engage Zimbabwe’s government, and that the matter be included in the Secretary-General’s next report on intimidation and reprisals.
“When individuals are threatened for addressing the United Nations, the credibility of the UN itself is at stake,” Neuer added. “The Secretary-General must act swiftly and publicly to ensure that Mr. Mhlanga is protected.”
The Geneva Summit is co-sponsored by 30 human rights NGOs from around the world and provides a platform at the United Nations for dissidents and victims of repression to speak directly to the international community.
