ICP Asks Kaye Of Inquiry to Gallach on Eviction, He Cites Due Process, Dujarric Says “Adjudicated”

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• published: 22 Oct 2016
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By Matthew Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- How did the UN under outgoing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his should-be-outgoing "Public Information" chief Cristina Gallach pretextually evict the critical Press from its long time office and confine it to minders, hindering further reporting on their corruption? A just-filed UN report on press freedom (A/HRC/33/32, here) includes both UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye's and Michel Forst's joint letter to Gallach, here, and her belated and untruthful response, here. Gallach says Inner City Press “trespassed” without stating that it was the UN Press Briefing Room in which the noon briefings are held. Gallach does not mention that there was no sign that said “closed” nor that even Ban's outgoing spokesman Dujarric admits the arrangement was only oral. On October 21, Inner City Press asked Special Rapporteur Kaye about his report. Video here. He said he would like to explore the process: if the UN offers due process to journalists. Inner City Press pointed out, for his inquiry, that it was never asked, before on February 19 having its accreditation and badge stripped, WHY it sought to cover the event in the UN Press Briefing Room on January 19. (It was to pursue the UN bribery / Ng Lap Seng story, which is ongoing.) So an hour later, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spoksman Dujarric about what Kaye has said, what due process exists or may in the future exist. But Dujarric cut the question off -- “it's about you” -- and said flatly, your case has been adjudicated. Really? By one unaccountable individual, Cristina Gallach, who never allowed any opportunity to be heard? With no appeals process? From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: in this room before the Wonder Woman situation, unrelated to it or maybe related, David Kaye, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, who, in his report, has included a letter from Cristina Gallach responding to his inquiry about her decision to throw a media out for being in the room. Her letter says that the media… that the press trespassed in this room. So I wanted to know what he, he raised concerns about due process. Given that you've worked in that system, what do you learn from the inquiry from David Kaye and Michel Forst asking about it and the comments made today about, about the UN not… Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Dujarric: I mean, I think it's about you, and I think your case has been adjudicated. Without any due process at all, no appeal, any questioning cut off. Even the countries the UN criticizes offer more due process than this. There should be firings. This UN "Aide Memoire," which Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric called "leaked" and refused to answer questions on, shows how - as does this Gallach's letter of May 25, 2016. On June 16, Inner City Press was belatedly provided with a copy of the questions UN Special Rapporteurs Kaye and Forst sent to Gallach on February 25, put it online here: So Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about the letter(s), Video here, Vine here, UN Transcript here and below. Petition here. https://www.change.org/p/unsg-ban-ki-moon-dsg-jan-eliasson-cdc-edmond-mulet-and-usg-dpi-gallach-we-demand-inner-city-press-be-restored-to-access-to-the-un-as-a-resident-correspondent