Volker Türk, director of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose remarks on the detentions in Delhi on Saturday sparked sharp criticism from India, had earlier similarly thrown his weight around in Bangladesh, where he threatened to ban the army from UN peacekeeping missions if they intervened during the 2024 student-led protests.
During July, August, you know, there were massive demonstrations of students. They had enough of the previous government under Sheikh Hasina. Türk continued: “When Muhammad Yunus took over as the new chief adviser of the interim administration, he asked me immediately, can you send us a fact-finding mission to put the spotlight on the situation and to investigate what was happening, which is what we did. And it actually helped. Mr. Türk also served UNHCR around the world, including as Representative in Malaysia; Assistant Chief of Mission in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively; Regional Protection Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and in Kuwait.
In an interview with Dhaka Tribune in March 2025, Türk said: “I’ll give you the example of Bangladesh last year. In July-August 2024, the OHCHR director condemned the violent Bangladesh government crackdown on student-led protests against the then Sheikh Hasina-led regime that resulted in over 170 deaths and thousands of injuries. Over the course of his career, he held a number of key positions, including at UNHCR headquarters where he served as Director of the Division of International Protection (2009-2015); Director of Organizational Development and Management (2008-2009); and Chief of Section, Protection Policy and Legal Advice (2000-2004).
In a statement, OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the office was “concerned by reports of mass detentions in India of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi”. “We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled,” it said. In response to the remarks, the Permanent Mission of India at Geneva said India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions. “The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India,” it said on X. Türk earlier served as the Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General, where he coordinated global policy work, according to information available on the OHCHR website.
