The UN removed criticism of the Saudi government from the official transcript of a key UN conference and threatened to eject a Saudi researcher from the gathering held in Riyadh in December, Human Rights Watch has said.

The organisation described the fallout from the UN Internet Governance Forum (UN IGF) as “the latest example” of a repressive government hosting a major UN conference which saw civil society representatives censored and intimidated.

Deborah Brown, HRW’s deputy technology, rights and investigations director, said: “The UN and its member states should put an end to a climate of intimidation and censorship toward diplomats, journalists, human rights advocates, and other civil society representatives at UN conferences.”