Senior U.N. official Bruno Donat, a Mauritian national, who had been on a hunger strike in support of Palestinian children victims in the ongoing Gaza genocide, alleges that he was assaulted by the UN’s security at its headquarters in New York.
The United Nations has disputed the claim, which has been reported by Reuters and Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the United Nations stated that Donat fell to the ground while resisting forcefully being removed from the premises after being denied permission to protest there.
Donat, who works at the organization’s European office in Geneva and previously worked in disarmament in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he was denied entry when he tried to enter the building to meet a colleague late on Monday 18 March.
“They dragged me outside,” he told Reuters. “Once outside, the security guard threw me to the ground and my head hit the sidewalk,” he said.
The incident caused bleeding, he added, and he showed Reuters a photo of a wound on the back of his head that led him to be taken to the hospital by ambulance.
He stated that he reported the incident to the UN leadership and planned to file a complaint with the police.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said that Donat had been repeatedly asked by security to leave the premises and had refused until the building closed.
Hunger Strike
Donat, a 54-year-old American-Mauritian Senior U.N. Humanitarian Office employee, had been on a hunger strike since March 1 in favour of the children victims in Gaza.
He suspended his hunger strike on Tuesday, stating that he was experiencing pain and vomiting following the incident at the United Nations.
In a statement to Defi Media, Bruno Donat reassured his family and friends who are concerned about what recently happened in New York.
Donat stated, “A friend helped me put together two video clips. I have a lot more footage for awareness, but these provide basic information before the assault. It’s very strange that footage of the assault is no longer there – I have no idea what happened. “
” I am doing better with a lot of painkillers. I need to protect myself more and get out of this place. And thank you for your support in promoting more peace.”
Source: Defi Media
