UN stresses importance of free expression after arrest of pro-Palestinian activist in New York

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Monday underscored the importance of protecting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly after the arrest of a pro-Palestinian activist in New York.

Asked about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate who helped lead a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus last April, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference that the UN was aware of the situation.

"We're aware of the reports," said Dujarric. "For us, it is crucial to underscore the importance of respecting the right of freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly everywhere."

- USAID programs

Also asked about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing US President Donald Trump administration canceling 83% of US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, Dujarric warned that such cuts would have severe consequences.

"I can tell you that the impact of these cuts and those from other countries will have a devastating impact on the people that the United Nations serve, and obviously on the people that were served directly by these programs," he said.

The US president had ordered a freeze on foreign assistance funding on Jan. 20, arguing much of it was wasteful.

Aid groups warn that cutting aid endangers vulnerable lives and undermines US interests.

In fiscal year 2023, USAID, responsible for distributing civilian foreign aid and development assistance, managed more than $40 billion in federal spending -- less than 1% of the federal budget -- funding aid projects in around 130 countries, including Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria.