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As UN Bans Inner City Press 976th Day It E-Asks Spox Dujarric of SG Elex Rules Senegal Covid Honduras Cameroon Rapes Somalia Hochschild Gmax Fleming 6000 UNanswered

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon IMF
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - CJR - PFT

UN GATE, March 5 – Inner City Press on 5 July 2018 was banned from entering the UN, two day after it was physically removed from conducting interviews outside meeting about the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' $6.7 billion budget.

  Then Guterres' Department of Global Communication, run by Melissa Fleming, issued a letter banning Inner City Press from the UN - for life. With no due process, no right of appeal.  Guterres has put the UN in the US Press Freedom Tracker, here. Guterres' Spokesman Stephane Dujarric falsely promised on camera that he would be answering banned Inner City Press' questions - but see below.

     On March 5 after Guterres again refused to answer but the IMF did answer, Feb 25 here, Feb 4 here, here (3 Dec 2020), like here, before Stephane "French Whine" Dujarric, previously the face of UN lies on cholera in Haiti, held a briefing again promoting a 2d term for Guterres, Inner City Press submitted yet more questions (blocked by Dujarric's screener Florencia Soto Nino on +1 917 226 7816 and Dujarric himself on +1 917 622 7652; he directed some favored scribes to Eri Kaneko on +1 917 208 8910, who now blocks Inner City Press on WhatsApp as well) including on the basis on which it continues to be lawlessly banned from entering to ask questions in person. Now also on the basis for withholding publicly funded UN video from the Press. There was no answer from Farhan Haq on +1 917 592 4591, not even a confirmation of receipt, and now UN official like Hua Jiang, Eri Kaneko, now on screen Jennifer Confilio, Adam Smook, Marisela Rivera and others to be named taking public money for a UN briefing blocking email questions about the UN's spread of Covid 19 - May 21 Inner City Press video with commentary here and here, edit here, June 16 video of Kaneko who had briefing go dark and never returned to explain here and here -- who will be held accountable? July 16 and ouster here, July 17 raw and UNTV... August 11 briefing and quarantine violations, Nov 23 here (with those allowed in obsessed by Antony Blinken and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, whom we too will cover, and did even before nomination, here), Feb 11 here, Feb 12 here (short because Honduras coverage, another Guterres cover up), Feb 26 here, March 1 here, March 2 here, March 3 here (Twitter video briefing by Brenden Varma whoe blocks Inner City Press on Twitter), Inner City Press asked:

These written question are posed and responses requested pursuant to the until-now broken commitment the the UN will "continue to answer e-mailed questions from Mr Lee" Inner City Press, here

March 5-1: Immediately respond to (as you have to date refused to) and explain this leaked audio, exclusively published by Inner City Press, of OIOS' Ben Swanson here 

SPECIFICALLY - since Inner City Press has been informed that the OIOS audio concerns Fabrizio Hochschild, belatedly comment on the audio and state why SG Guterres has for the second time reward / promoted Hochschild.

For "noon" briefing state whether the spokesman can take public money to only "speak for the incumbent" or if as in most democracies there shouldn't be a separate and separately paid campaign spokesperson; and for 12:30 briefing, with Spox Varma's cc-ed though like Mr. Dujarric he blocks Inner City Press on Twitter, immediately state which letters and CVs have been forwarded to the UNSC President and why these, are not on un.org 

Relatedly, what is SG Guterres' comment and action if any on the decades long rule, here: Election campaigns have begun in Congo-Brazzaville ahead of the presidential poll in just over two weeks' time.  The incumbent, Denis Sassou Nguesso, is seeking a fourth term. Apart from a five-year period he has been leading the country since 1979 and will face six opposition candidates.  These include two former ministers, Mathias Dzon and Guy-Brice Parfait Kolélas

On censorship, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on that The Senegalese authorities have suspended the signal of two private television stations after accusing them of focusing too much on protests triggered by the arrest of an opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko. 

Immediately describes all of SG Guterres' communications in the past two years with the government of Guinea Bissau amid this "news" -- "Guinea-Bissau supports the reappointment of António Guterres as UNSG"

On Honduras, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres, who sent a four person panel to the country to back up the contested election of Juan Orlando Hernandez, to the evidence presented in the SDNY court of JOH's involving in narco trafficking and murder, including in light of the Geovanny Fuentes trial which starts March 8? See, e.g., here

  On Cameroon, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on the revenge attack nearly a year ago by Cameroonian soldiers on a village where they raped at least 20 women. 

  Explain why the UN bans Inner City Press, even from asking these questions by WebEx, when for example the IMF, even Feb 25, allowed and answered my questions on Sudan, Cambodia and Zambia? How can Guterres and Fleming and the Office of the Spokesperson justify this censorship? See, Feb 25 IMF, here

  Explain the basis for the UN Secretariat to block US-based Inner City Press from access the UNSC stakeout to question the new US Ambassador to the UN.

AGAIN -  On the criminal indictment of Afrasiabi for secret payments from Iran Mission to the UN - through UNFCU - again, what are SG Guterres' comments and actions and separately what of the procedures of UNFCU and the UN to monitor for violations of US FARA? And now on Afrasiabi's argument that the UN Charter trumped FARA? And that he has asked FM Zarif to get SG Guterres' help? Why did SG Guterres response to now-indicted illegal lobbyist for Iran through SG Central while banning and not answer Press that covers this UN? How is this not just censorship and corruption?

 On Cameroon, what /where is the comments and action if any of SG Guterres on the video showing security forces torturing a young male suspected of ties to an armed separatist group. The video, which was shared widely on social media last Sunday, shows soldiers in Ndu, in the English-speaking north-west region, beating the young man with a machete until he loses consciousness? 

On the UN system being unable or unwilling to investigate corruption in its ranks, including the "dollar a year" people like Mike Bloomberg and, reporting, Irina Bokova at UNESCO, what are SG Guterres' comments and action on OIOS David Kanja telling a whistleblower (who in turn told Inner City Press) this: "From: OIOS Hotline Date: Thu, Feb 11, 2021 at 8:46 AM Subject: Re: Allegation Report and Request for Investigation Irina Bokova and Kalin Mitev   Thank you for your additional email dated 07 February 2021 to the Investigations Division, Office of Internal Oversight Services (ID/OIOS).    Your report has been carefully reviewed. Unfortunately, the subject of your complaint falls outside the mandate of ID/OIOS, which deals with misconduct matters involving UN staff and resources. As such, we are unable to assist in your query."  

Immediately provide a complete list of all dollar a year officials of the UN system, specifically which ones SG Guterres appointed or re-appointed, and what safeguards against corruption and conflict of interest there are. 

On UN sexual exploitation and abuse - alleged - this is a request that you immediately provide the "if asked" information about the case of  child rape and sexual exploitation by UN "peacekeepers" from Gabon and Cameroon in Central African Republic just cursorily data dumped onto the UN website on the morning of Feb 12, 2021 at 10:31 am and that you immediately provide the "granular" information that was promised today at noon to correspondents who barely ask or publish about this topic. What is being done for the victims? 

  In related UN cover up, what are SG Guterres comments and more importantly action on the UN Dispute Tribunal on Feb 3 confirming sexual charges against Padula - while having told Inner City Press to destroy all evidence or remain bannned, and maintaining Padula's name sealed, confirming the cover-up culture under Guterres?  

AGAIN -what are SG Guterres' response to the candidacy for SG of Arora Akanksha

 Answer now all of Inner City Press' Burma and other outstanding questions, as the IMF today by WebEx invited and allowed Inner City Press and answered its quesion, here.   How can the UN have no due process or appeal? How is this not just censorship?

Given that the UNDT ordered destruction of evidence concerning sexual harassment inside the UN, why is SG Guterres not waiving immunity, instead having his long time lawyer Miguel de Serpa Soares write to UNAT: "Mr. Lee also requests that the UNAT issue an order compelling the Secretary-General to waive the immunity of the presiding judge in the hearing held in Case No. UNDT/NY/2019/047, so that Mr. Lee may bring action against her in domestic courts. The UNAT should reject this request as not receivable ratione materiae. The UNAT has affirmed that issues relating to the immunity of UN officials, including officials protected under Article VI, Section 22(b) of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, such as the UNDT and UNAT Judges, are policy decisions of the Secretary-General which are not justiciable"? On deadline.

What is SG Guterres' response to the piece in the Bangkok Post saying "António Guterres does not deserve a second term... his tenure as the world's top diplomat has been disappointing, marked by failures to address human rights abuses, initiate fundamental institutional reforms, or champion multilateralism...

AGAIN, what are comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on the Jan 19 EDNY indictment of Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, a/k/a “Lotfolah Kaveh Afrasiabi,” with acting and conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in violation of US FARA? Specifically, what is SG Guterres response to the statement in the complaint that the now-detained defendant AFRASIABI illegal payments "have been drawn on the IMUN’s bank account at a financial institution in Long Island City in Queens, New York" - on information and believe, UNFCU? And how do you justify not answering this Press question, but taking propaganda questions from Iran state media

On Cameroon, FIFA and the CHAN held in a warzone, what now are SG Guterres' comments and actions if on that the Fifa President Gianni Infantino has called for officials of Cameroon's Football Federation (Fecafoot) to respect a decision from the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) annulling elections held in 2018. 

On UN system corruption, what are SG Guterres comments and actions if any on the UK's letter saying that Inner City Press' reporting uncovered over $400,000 in fraud - and how does he explain banning Inner City Press from entering or asking quesitons at the UN? Isn't this just covering up corruption? See, here.

 On Cote d'Ivoire, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on that opposition parties in Ivory Coast want the electoral body to postpone legislative elections due to be held on 6 March as they say they need more time to prepare for them.

Given his attempt to get a 2d term as SG, what is Antonio Guterres' response to the answer to Inner City Press' Jan 13 question by Ken Roth of HRW, that Guterres is been (even) weaker than Ban Ki-moon on human rights? See, here

On Cameroon, AGAIN, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on that ZIFA has written to continental football authority Caf seeking the postponement of this WEEKEND’s African Nations Championship (Chan) that is set for Cameroon from January 16 to February 7. 

What are SG Guterres comments on deadline on events in Uganda - and in Kenya, where four Kenyan human rights activists have been arrested outside the Ugandan embassy in Nairobi. 

Likewise on Western Sahara, what is Guterres response to this in published interview: "under Ban Ki-moon, and the tail end of Kofi Annan's time when I first arrived, I could ask questions about Western Sahara in the UN noon briefing, and at the UNSC stakeout. Under Guterres, this was blocked but he and Melissa Fleming have allowed numerous Morocco state media full access and office space in the UN.

Why does Guterres' UN, unlike the IMF even today, refuse to answer Inner City Press' questions about China? See Jan 8, 2021 IMF video of Inner City Press' question on the Belt and Road (CEFC) and African debt levels, here.

As Inner City Press asked in the early afternoon of Jan 5 with no answer (cover up), On UN sexual exploitation and abuse - alleged - this is a request that you immediately provide the "if asked" information about the new case of child rape in CAR by a Gabon "peacekeeper," a UN civilian child rape in DRC and a UN civil sex abuse case in South Sudan, all data dumped at 12:35 pm on Jan 5, 2021, after Farhan Haq's 2-question "briefing" and the earlier cases of  child rape and sexual exploitation by UN "peacekeepers" from Morocco, Uruguay, Ethiopia, Senegal and Benin and again Cameroon, in DRC and Central African Republic just cursorily data dumped onto the UN website...What is being done for the victims? 

What are the comments and actions of SG Guterres and separately USG Fleming (who is cited in this article) to this:  December 29, 2020, El Portal Diplomatico, "The Moroccan lobby at the UN and Guterres' Communication team veto journalist specialized in the Sahrawi issue," "the new head of the Secretary General's Communication team, Melissa Fleming, prevented the entry of journalist Matthew Lee, specialized in armed conflicts and with more than 10 years of journalistic work in the Organization.  Thus, media such as Inner City Press are censored"

What are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres, who has received funds from Gulbenkian Foundation which tried to sell its oil company Partex to CEFC China Energy (and whose financial disclosure covering 2016 did not list the Gulbenkian funds) to today's news that that US Second Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction for UN bribery of CEFC China Energy's Chi Ping Patrick Ho? And please disclose business interests and trips of SG's son Pedro.

  After UNDT purported to order me to destroy evidence of sexual harassment by UN staff Padula, AGAIN what are the responses of SG Guterres and his consigliere Soares, UN General Counsel now that the appeal has been acknowledged and said to be on ePortal with case number? "Weicheng Lin  9:39 AM  Dear Mr. Lee,  I acknowledge receipt of your filing.   Case: UNAT/2020/1502 Dear Respondents,  We received an Appeal of UNDT Orders 178 (NY/2020) and 179 (NY/2020) filed by Mr. Lee on 21 December 2020.  Mr. Lee who is not a staff member nor a party to the case of the Applicant filed an appeal against these orders with the Appeals Tribunal.  The Registrar accepted the submissions and instructed that they be transmitted to the parties in the UNDT proceedings, and the Secretary-General for comments within 30 days."    How is it acceptable that each of your takes public money and refuses to answer or even acknowledge Press questions, including about UN staff's sexual abuse? 

AGAIN - On UN sexual exploitation and abuse - alleged - this is a request that you immediately provide the "if asked" information about the new case of sexual abuse by a Morocco "peacekeeper" in DRC, data dumped at 12:01 pm on December 17, and the cases of  child rape and sexual exploitation by UN "peacekeepers" from Uruguay, Ethiopia, Senegal and Benin and again Cameroon, in DRC and Central African Republic just cursorily data dumped onto the UN website  December 10 (Human Rights Day and that you immediately provide the "granular" information that was promised today at noon to correspondents who barely ask or publish about this topic. What is being done for the victims? 

On SG son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres, explain how the business of Explorer Investments has been reviewed for conflicts of interest. Explain immediately how Pedro Guterres doing business with Rwanda while Antonio Guterres was UNSG was and is not a conflict, and what was disclosed and to whom. 

On Western Sahara and Morocco what are the comments and actions of any of SG Guterres and separately the UN Mission and non existent Personl Envoy on that "On Monday, November 16, 12-year-old Hayat, born 10/8/2008, was arrested while attending classes at the Al-Nahda school in occupied El Aaiun and taken to the Moroccan security headquarters, where she was subjected to torture

State whether SG Guterres, as he told FOSS, went to Massachusetts and if so whether he will stay there are least three days for testing (and be tested if and when back), under new NY rules 

Immediately explain, given the Amir Dossal was on board of Epstein's procurer Ghislaine Maxwell's Terramar Project and Inner City Press has repeatedly asked you each about in writing, how Spokesman Dujarric's Oct 30 on camera statement is not aware of any other UN connection to Epstein, beyond IPI, was and is not a lie and cover up. 

Again, why did Guterres not list Gulbenkian, linked to CEFC China Energy, in his disclosure covering 2016?  What are Guterres' comments on IPI and Epstein, why would he not say why he left the board? Why has he not quit Club of Madrid? Why was Amir Dossal on Board of Terramar of Ghislaine Maxwell

On UN staffer Karim Elkorany, indicted in SDNY for lying to FBI about drugging and raping women while working for UN in Iraq, immediately state what the outcome of the victim complaining to the UN was - and why Elkorany was back at liberty in New Jersey.

AGAIN - immediately explain UN Amir Dossal being 1 of 5 on board of Ghislaine Maxwell's Terramar Project, and what has been done about it.

 Immediately provide the if-asked information on the new SEA charged data dumped this morning about allegations against South Africa "peacekeeper" in DRC and Gabon "peacekeeper" in CAR, and -- As Inner City Press asked each of you on August 17 without answer, re new 2020 UN child rape in South Sudan case data dumped on the afternoon of August 17 - immediately provide all if-asked info of the type previously provided under Ban Ki-moon before SG Guterres tried to cover everything up,  and August 5, 9 am by Italy in Lebanon, South Africa in DRC and an UNSPECIFIED UN civilian CHILD RAPE in DR Congo of July 28 of Gabon in CAR and Guinea in DRC, on top of those of July 23, 6 pm that you immediately provide all if-asked / further information about the new UN sexual exploitation allegations in CAR against UN "peacekeeper" from Gabon, and in DRC by South Africa, on top of unanswered UNTSO driver question and those data dumped on June 4 after 2:30 pm - the twelfth batch this summer so far, no answers, UNSG complicit

On Honduras and COVID corruption by the Juan Orlando Hernandez administration, what are the comment and actions if any of SG Guterres on the corruption allegations here? And again, what is the read out of Guterres' panel sent to Honduras? 

  Immediate comments on the leaked audio of OSSC Chediek Inner City Press published Aug 5 on SoundCloud here (1 of 6)  
On Ghislaine Maxwell and UNEP's Lisa Svensson, who has been exposed in SDNY has saying the UN doesn't care about sex trafficking, what is SG Guterres' response?

as well as on the June 22 admission by Sri Lanka former PR Kohona that his country led a campaign to get Inner City Press ousted and banned from the UN after it reported on mass killings in Sri Lanka, as Inner City Press was also doing as to Cameroon when your UN banned it now for 916+ days. What is the appeals process? On deadline."  

More here.

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