Geopolitics

IPU reports a record number of parliamentarians face threats and persecution around the world

A sharp increase in threats against women parliamentarians was seen: 137 in 2022, up from 123 last year and almost quadruple the 37 cases just eight years ago.

, and John Heilprin

December 8, 2022 . 11:04 PM

1 min read

The Hungarian Parliament Building towers over the Danube River (AN/Jure Tufekcic / Unsplash)

GENEVA (AN) – The number of parliamentarians that suffered threats and acts of intimidation or faced attacks on their freedom of expression and other rights rose 10% in the past year, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Among 44 nations a record number of 739 parliamentarians were threatened in 2022, up from 673 during the previous year, the Geneva-based IPU reported in its annual global snapshot on Thursday.

That is a "continuous upward trend" since 2014 in the number of cases examined by a committee on parliamentarian's human rights for the IPU, the global organization that represents 178 member national parliaments.