UN Rights Chief Defends Suspension of Sex Abuse Whistleblower

"The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, says he stands by his decision to suspend a senior U.N. official who leaked confidential documents about the sexual abuse of children in Central African Republic...

The high commissioner's suspension of U.N. whistleblower Anders Kompass three weeks ago has set off a firestorm. Kompass leaked a confidential U.N. report to French authorities alleging that 14 French soldiers assigned to a peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic sexually abused a number of children between eight and 15 years of age.

The alleged abuses occurred over a seven-month period that ended nearly a year ago (from December 2013 to June 2014), yet none of the incidents were under investigation before Kompass leaked the report. A U.N. tribunal has ruled on Wednesday that his suspension was 'prima facie unlawful,' and ordered the U.N. to reinstate Kompass, who is a Swedish national...

High Commissioner Zeid told VOA his office has implemented the judge's order as directed...'No, I did not apologize to Anders Kompass. I think it was regrettable that, in one way, the burden of responsibility has almost shifted entirely onto the U.N,' said Zeid."