UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has expressed concern by human rights abuses in several counties including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, and Turkey.

Al Hussein has warned that the world may be at a turning point in the fight against those who terrorize the innocent, Vatican Radio reported.  

In a speech to the UN Human Rights Council, the commissioner urged States not “to lose their grasp” of the human rights principles underlying their societies in their struggle against violent extremism.

The High Commissioner also said he is deeply concerned at measures that restrict freedom of expression in numerous countries. He cited Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Hungary, Myanmar, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, and Vietnam.