HRC 61 Item 5 Media-Fueled Persecution: Establishing Accountability for Sensationalist Coverage of Religious Minorities

Human Rights Council

61st regular session of the Human Rights Council

23 February – 02 April 2026

General debate on item 5

By : Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience

We call upon this Council to create an expert group to monitor media bias leading to violations of freedom of expression and religion, and to ensure this mechanism protects believers from state and online violence driven by sensationalist content.

This is critical because we see a global pattern where sensationalist coverage triggers persecution and violence against religious minorities.

Per the Public Health Approach to Violence Prevention, drawing on the foundational work of the World Health Organization, it is clear that the stigmatization of minorities by the media, whether ethnic or religious, is a precursor to violence.

Some examples include reports on Netflix or HBO stigmatizing communities such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, which have led to harassment and violence. In South Korea, following documentaries, Christian Gospel Mission members face a “digital witch-hunt.” Recently, this stigmatization turned violent in Taiwan, where two members were assaulted with a hammer. Similarly, Shincheonji faces threats of dissolution, fueled by hostile media narratives that justify state repression.

While two UN reports identify digital threats, current mechanisms remain insufficient to address this media-fueled discrimination.

I thank you

Source : https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1o/k1onw8nxq2