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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Letter PFT Q&A, NY Post

UN GATE, Dec 6 – Inner City Press on 5 July 2018 was banned from entering the UN, the day after it filed a criminal complaint against UN Security for physically removing it from covering the meeting about the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' $6.7 billion peacekeeping budget, as witnessed and essentially cheered on by senior UN official Christian Saunders, tearing its reporter's shirt, painfully and intentionally twisting his arm and slamming shut and damaging his laptop. On August 17, Guterres' Department of Global Communication issued a letter banning Inner City Press from the UN - for life. With no due process.

Guterres has put the UN in the US Press Freedom Tracker, here. The head of the UN Department of Global Communications said, again, that the UN would answer Press questions to the Spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his Office; Dujarric said the same on camera. On December 6 an hour before a noon briefing by Spokesman Stephane "French Whine" Dujarric and after he had again helped cover up UN sex abuse by withholding if-asked information about yet another new data dumped report, see below, after the July 26 noon briefing had no questions at all, video here, Inner City Press submitted 1390 questions, including why it continues to be lawlessly banned from entering to ask questions in person: "There are more than 900+ questions UNanswered. Just recently, Nov 1-11, 13-29, Dec 2-3 many questions. No answers at all during the four days of the US v Ho trial showing corruption in the UN says it all; no answers during the Honduras narco-president trial while UN bragged about taking his money, nor on OneCoin. This ban is just censorship - and Inner City Press must be allowed back into the noon briefing to ask its questions in person and follow up on them.

December 6-1: On Burundi, what are the belated comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on that Burundi's ruling party youth league is forcing citizens to donate money to fund next year's election, as fears of abuses and renewed violence grow ahead of the vote. Again, what is the status of Michel Kafando? 

December 6-2: On Sri Lanka, on which you did not answer as Gotabaya Rajapaksa used photos of Shavendra Silva with UN peacekeepers deploying to Mali as part of his campaign, what are the belated comments and actions of SG Guterres and separately his resident coordinator on that Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has prorogued the Parliament for one month and fixed January 3, 2020 for the commencement of the next session, a move that will give his minority government freedom to rule without obstruction from the Opposition 

December 6-3: Again, as banned Inner City Press asked you in writing right after this new case was data dumped at 8:30 am, answer before or at noon: On UN sexual exploitation and abuse - alleged - this is a request that you immediately provide the "if asked" information about the new (Dec 6) sex abuse case about the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel, and the two more November 26, 3 pm cases of sexual exploitation in CAR by Cameroon troops in September 2019 (!) and 2018, and those of November 21 from 2017 and 2016, released an hour before UNSG Guterres met Cameroon FM, without readout or access or even response to request for access, on top of the November 11 case of rape in Liberia, and by a Cameroon "military observer" in Mali, UNanswered with Inner City Press blocked from noon briefing and only 2 questions inside, the cases of sexual exploitation and rape cursorily data dumped on November 11 at 10:30 am including rapes in Liberia, sexual exploitation in Sept 2019 in CAR (all nationalities undisclosed - why?)

 December 6-4: On Libya and Greece and Turkey, following up on the question Inner City Press asked you without any answer, now what are the comments or actions if any of SG Guterres on that Greece said on Friday it was expelling Libya's ambassador to the country, angered at an accord between Libya and Turkey signed on Nov. 27 that maps out a sea boundary between the two countries close to the Greek island of Crete.

December 6-5: On Libya and the UN, what are the comments, explanations and actions if any of SG Guterres on that the UN center in Libya was opened as an “alternative to detention,” a last, safe stop for migrants before they were resettled in other countries. Now, just a year later, it looks increasingly like the notorious Libyan lockups it was supposed to replace.

December 6-6: Why isn't Guterres' appearance at UNCA's fundraising on his schedule? Is it "internal"? Again, did he think UNCA leadership's paid trip to China was appropriate? 

December 6-7: On press freedom and Nigeria, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres and separately of USG Melissa Fleming and separately DSG Amina J. Mohammed on that Nigerian journalist and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has been re-arrested less than 18 hours after being freed by the authorities. 

December 5-1: On Cameroon, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on that  Calls for a boycott of legislative and municipal elections are increasing in the opposition ranks. However, the government assures that the conditions will be met for the elections, scheduled in two months, to be held as scheduled. What role will the UN play?

November 27-4: On fraud and now Dubai, now that the OneCoin trial in SDNY has ended with a guilty verdict, and the links to Venezuela and PDVSA, as well as role of Dubai and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum along with Amer Abdulaziz of Phoenix thoroughbred (with other UN connections) are being exclusively reported by Inner City Press while UN has refused to answer on it and on UN-linked World Sports Alliance IgoBit and even Carlos Garcia's use of the UN for a fraudulent coin, now immediately answer this Inner City Press two week old questions: November 8-5: Again, given the increase about of fraud with which the UN is surrounded / involved in under SG Guterres, now belatedly answer this Inner City Press question now that UN-linked World Sports Alliance Saint Clair has been formally indicted in the SDNY, and belatedly comment on the global implications of the related OneCoin fraud being shown in SDNY trial: "October 24-1

November 19-1: On Honduras on which SG Guterres never answered Inner City Press' questions after conviction of presidential brother Tony Hernandez and the proof JOH took El Chapo funds, beyond the UN thanking Honduras for $50,000, what now is Guterres' comment on the assassination of Josue David Caceres Aguilar, the son of another witness of JOH's corruption Miguel Anulfo Valle? And again, where is the report or what was the read-out of the 4 person panel Guterres sent to Honduras after JOH's dubious electoral win? 

September 4-8: Immediately explain the single lawless line from MALU on 30 August 2019: "Greetings Matthew Lee from Inner City Press, Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M5413398, has been declined for the following reason: Media accreditation was withdrawn on 17 August 2018." This is a formal request for the UN's explanation of grounds for this denial. And a demand for answer to these questions, which MALU has declined to answer:  Who made the decision?  Where is the list of those accredited by [MALU]?  What and to whom is the process of appeal? 

September 3-19: On press freedom and Cameroon, on which you refused to answer on August 13 despite saying the office was staffed and answering, now more specific: what is the SG's comment and action if any, post golden statue, to that Paul Atanga Nji, territorial administration minister, says Cameroon's journalists are becoming highly unpatriotic.  "They have one main objective, just to sabotage government action, to promote secessionist tendencies," said Nji. "I urge them to be responsible. Those who do not want to respect the laws will be booked as being recalcitrant and will be treated as such"... Now that the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has ruled against public officials blocking critics on Twitter even if the official claims their account is private [and AOC unblocking Dov Hikind], what is the justification for UNSG Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, with the UN flag in his profile photo and Guterres promoting content, blocking Inner City Press? What is SG Guterres' response / reaction to UN DSS and Guterres' actions on Inner City Press being listed in the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, here.  In the UN, what has the accountability been for Lt Ronald E. Dobbins and those those refused on camera to give their names? What is each of yours - particularly the SG's - response to the letter written and sent by Burundi activist Manisha Lievin? Immediately explain the single lawless line from MALU on 30 August 2019: "Greetings Matthew Lee from Inner City Press, Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M5413398, has been declined for the following reason: Media accreditation was withdrawn on 17 August 2018." This is a formal request for the UN's explanation of grounds for this denied, and since SGcentral, the SG's chief of staff and Deputy SG and USG Fleming have not even responded... AGAIN, immediately explain how it is legitimate to ban from enter into the UN the media that has been asking about these and other questions, with no hearing or appeal - and respond that Inner City Press on August 24 applied like 100s or 1000s of others to cover the upcoming UNGA high level week, including now formally offering to answer any quesions the UN / DSS might have, having been vetted and accredited elsewhere since, as both USG DSS Michaud and MALU have formally been timely informed -- and how it is possible that a media that closely covers and uncovers the UN could be denied entry, other than (SG) censorship.

More here.

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